Amazon’s cloud customers will need to endure several more months of disruption after Iranian drone strikes hit three data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The AWS dashboard revealed that full recovery from cloud disruptions could take nearly half a year, impacting operations in Middle Eastern regions.

The update announced that billing for customers in the affected areas would be suspended as normal operations were restored. Amazon initially waived all usage-related charges for March 2026 at an estimated cost of $150 million to ensure customer satisfaction despite the setbacks.

Customers, such as Dubai’s super app Careem, which offers ride-hailing and delivery services, quickly migrated their resources to other data center servers overnight. However, many others face a longer wait for full service restoration. AWS strongly recommended that customers migrate resources elsewhere and rely on remote backups to avoid accessibility issues.

As the dust settles from these drone strikes, it raises questions about the vulnerability of cloud infrastructure in conflict zones. The incident highlights the delicate balance between technological convenience and geopolitical tensions.