Iran has issued threats to target desalination plants amid claims of damage to its own water and energy infrastructure during the ongoing conflict involving Israel and the US. The Iranian military recently reiterated its warnings against the region’s infrastructure following US President Donald Trump’s statement about potential strikes on power plants in Iran if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. The Iranian military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya specified that any violation of Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure by the enemy would result in the targeting of energy, information technology, and desalination facilities belonging to the US and Israel in the region.
This statement comes after Bahrain reported an Iranian drone attack on a water desalination plant, accusing Iran of indiscriminately targeting civilian infrastructure. However, Bahrain’s national communications office clarified that the attack did not impact water supplies or network capacity. Prior to this incident, Iran had accused the US of attacking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island that serves multiple villages. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards alleged that the US carried out the attack from a base in Bahrain.
Iran’s Energy Minister highlighted that numerous water transmission and treatment facilities had been targeted, leading to the destruction of critical water supply networks. Experts have warned that targeting water supplies could escalate the conflict significantly. Desalination plants play a crucial role in the Middle East, where water scarcity is a pressing issue. These facilities are vital for the region’s economy and drinking water provision. The Middle East houses a significant portion of the world’s desalination capacity, with countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait relying heavily on desalinated water for their populations.
The security of desalination plants is a concern, given their vulnerability to military strikes, power outages, and seawater contamination. Operators are implementing enhanced security measures and surveillance around these facilities to mitigate risks. Precedents of attacks on desalination facilities are limited but include incidents involving Iran-backed rebels in Yemen targeting Saudi Arabian plants and retaliatory strikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The potential escalation of attacks on desalination plants could have severe consequences, leading to water shortages, economic disruptions, and impacts on various sectors dependent on water resources.
Efforts are being made to safeguard these essential facilities, including interconnecting plants to reduce the impact of disruptions and maintaining water reserves to prevent shortages during extended outages. Despite existing safeguards, the escalation of attacks on desalination plants poses a significant risk to regional stability and water security.
