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Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, expressed strong condemnation on the platform X, labeling the United States’ alleged attack on a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island as a “blatant and desperate crime.” Araghchi emphasized the severe repercussions of this action, noting that the water supply to 30 villages has been significantly disrupted.
He further warned that targeting Iran’s infrastructure is a perilous move, promising grave consequences. “The US set this precedent, not Iran,” Araghchi declared, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
This incident marks a significant escalation, as it is the first reported attack on desalination plants in the Gulf region since the conflict began nine days ago. The targeting of such critical infrastructure underscores the stakes and potential ramifications in the ongoing tensions.
This marked the first time Gulf countries have reported targeting of their desalination plants in the nine days since the war erupted.
Here is why that is a big deal.
While oil has built the Middle East, it is water that keeps one of the world’s driest regions going.
The majority of the Gulf relies on over 400 desalination facilities for much of its water supply due to the arid climate and irregular rainfall.
The facilities convert the seawater that surrounds these countries into safe drinking water through a process of reverse osmosis, which separates the salt from the water.
About 90 per cent of water comes from desalination in Kuwait, about 86 per cent in Oman and 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia.
These systems have long been recognised as a risk to regional stability.
If the major desalination plants were damaged or offline, there is the suggestion some cities could even lose their drinking water in days.
A CIA analysis in 2010 warned that attacks on these facilities could trigger a national crisis, and critical damage could lead to months-long outages.
”Each of these critical plants is extremely vulnerable to sabotage or military action,” the report read.
Several countries, like Saudi Arabia, have upgraded their water systems, but the region remains vulnerable to water supply issues.
– Reported with Associated Press
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