War in Iran Has Put Middle East Water Supplies at Risk [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/14/climate/iran-war-water-supply-desalination.html

War in Iran Has Put Middle East Water Supplies at Risk
By Mira Rojanasakul, Claire Brown and Hiroko Tabuchi
March 13, 2026

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Last week, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said an attack on a desalination plant on Qeshm Island, in the Persian Gulf, on March 7 had affected the water supply to 30 villages. While Iran blamed the United States for the attack, the Pentagon has denied responsibility, as has Israel.

And in Bahrain, the Interior Ministry blamed an Iranian drone for “material damage” to a desalination plant, though the country’s water and electricity authority said water supplies had not been affected.

Over the last few decades, the arid countries of the Persian Gulf have become increasingly reliant on desalination plants to supply water to cities and towns.

International law prohibits attacking or destroying infrastructure indispensable to the survival of civilians. That includes water infrastructure, food supplies and energy systems.





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