diff --git a/cmd/aws/create.go b/cmd/aws/create.go
index 59e539ba..e6d29a94 100644
--- a/cmd/aws/create.go
+++ b/cmd/aws/create.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ssm"
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts"
 	internalssh "github.com/konstructio/kubefirst-api/pkg/ssh"
 	pkg "github.com/konstructio/kubefirst-api/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/konstructio/kubefirst/internal/catalog"
@@ -66,7 +65,8 @@ func createAws(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	creds, err := ValidateAWSRegionAndRetrieveCredentials(cfg)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	creds, err := getSessionCredentials(ctx, cfg.Credentials)
 	if err != nil {
 		progress.Error(err.Error())
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve AWS credentials: %w", err)
@@ -166,16 +166,10 @@ func ValidateProvidedFlags(cfg aws.Config, gitProvider, amiType, nodeType string
 	return nil
 }
 
-func ValidateAWSRegionAndRetrieveCredentials(cfg aws.Config) (*aws.Credentials, error) {
-	// Validate region by creating a client
-	stsClient := sts.NewFromConfig(cfg)
-	_, err := stsClient.GetCallerIdentity(context.TODO(), &sts.GetCallerIdentityInput{})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to validate AWS region: %w", err)
-	}
+func getSessionCredentials(ctx context.Context, cfg aws.CredentialsProvider) (*aws.Credentials, error) {
 
 	// Retrieve credentials
-	creds, err := cfg.Credentials.Retrieve(context.TODO())
+	creds, err := cfg.Retrieve(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve AWS credentials: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/aws/create_test.go b/cmd/aws/create_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e6ae53c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/aws/create_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package aws
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+type mockCredentialsProvider struct {
+	creds aws.Credentials
+	err   error
+}
+
+func (m *mockCredentialsProvider) Retrieve(ctx context.Context) (aws.Credentials, error) {
+	return m.creds, m.err
+}
+
+func TestValidateCredentials(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		creds       aws.Credentials
+		err         error
+		expectedErr error
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "valid credentials",
+			creds: aws.Credentials{
+				AccessKeyID:     "test-access-key-id",
+				SecretAccessKey: "test-secret-access-key",
+				SessionToken:    "test-session-token",
+			},
+			err:         nil,
+			expectedErr: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "failed to retrieve credentials",
+			creds:       aws.Credentials{},
+			err:         errors.New("failed to retrieve credentials"),
+			expectedErr: errors.New("failed to retrieve AWS credentials: failed to retrieve credentials"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			mockProvider := &mockCredentialsProvider{
+				creds: tt.creds,
+				err:   tt.err,
+			}
+
+			creds, err := getSessionCredentials(context.Background(), mockProvider)
+			if tt.expectedErr != nil {
+				assert.Nil(t, creds)
+				assert.EqualError(t, err, tt.expectedErr.Error())
+			} else {
+				assert.NotNil(t, creds)
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, tt.creds, *creds)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c4cb9999..ba159603 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.3
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.19.0
+	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver v1.17.1
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20241108190413-2d47ceb2692f
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.5.3 // indirect
 	github.com/mxk/go-flowrate v0.0.0-20140419014527-cca7078d478f // indirect
 	github.com/planetscale/vtprotobuf v0.6.1-0.20240319094008-0393e58bdf10 // indirect
+	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.1-0.20181226105442-5d4384ee4fb2 // indirect
 	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/x448/float16 v0.8.4 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/detectors/gcp v1.29.0 // indirect
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/servicequotas v1.25.7 // indirect
 	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sso v1.24.7 // indirect
 	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ssooidc v1.28.6 // indirect
-	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.33.2
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.33.2 // indirect
 	github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.22.1 // indirect
 	github.com/aymanbagabas/go-osc52/v2 v2.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/aymerick/douceur v0.2.0 // indirect