By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Bahrain said on Sunday that Iran has struck a desalination plant in Bahrain, after concerns that the US-Iran war that has already spread to Middle East may result in an uglier conflict over humanity’s most essential resource the Water.
According to Bahrain, a Shahed Kamikaze drone being used by Iran in the ongoing war against the US and Israel struck the desalination plant, causing “material damage”.
This is the first time an Arab country has accused Iran of striking a desalination plant. The alleged attack came days after Tehran accused the United States of targeting a desalination plant.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the US “committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island.”
Araghchi stated that the strike left around 30 villages without water.
“Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The US set this precedent, not Iran,” he said on X.
The authorities said that desalination plants convert seawater into drinking water by removing salt and other minerals, are the lifeline of several Gulf nations as they have limited fresh water resources.
Bahrain is entirely dependent on desalination for its drinking water supply, making its infrastructure critical to national security and survival.
The overall figure of desalinated drinking water dependency for Saudi Arabia is 70%; 90 per cent for Kuwait; 42 per cent for UAE; and 86 per cent for Oman.
