Iran threat raises risk of regional ‘water war’

Iran warns it will strike critical infrastructure across the Middle East if its energy assets are attacked.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran threatened on Sunday that if the United States or Israel targets its energy assets, it will retaliate by striking vital infrastructure across the Middle East, including desalination plants critical for providing water in one of the driest regions of the world.

The threat came after President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. could attack Iran’s electricity facilities if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial maritime route for global oil shipping — by Monday evening. Iran quickly responded with defiance.

“Following previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the U.S. and the regime in the region will be targeted,” an Iranian army spokesman said in a media statement.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf reinforced the warning, stating that any attack on Iran’s power infrastructure would trigger immediate retaliation.

Ghalibaf said Tehran would target “critical infrastructure, energy, and oil across the region,” adding that such assets “will be irreversibly destroyed, and oil prices will rise for a long time.”

Kaveh Madani, a water expert at the United Nations and a former Iranian government official, told Fox News that attacks on desalination plants could have far-reaching consequences beyond the region.

The Middle East “might see a real water war, but the knock-on effects on the world’s economy, including the U.S., will be both immediate and lasting,” Madani said.

“Now, add the possibility of damage to the already fragile water infrastructure, including treatment plants, pumping stations, and distribution networks,” he added. “The consequences would be catastrophic and lasting.”

According to Madani, a recent U.S. airstrike damaged a desalination center in Iran. Tehran responded by striking a desalination plant in Bahrain, signaling it is serious about carrying out its threat to disrupt drinking water resources across the Middle East.

Madani emphasized that Iran is the “least reliant” country in the region on desalination, making such facilities a strategic target in any escalation.

“The Islamic Republic is explicitly including them as legitimate targets for retaliation because this is the biggest vulnerability of the other parties to the war across the Middle East,” he said.