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Gulf Desalination Plants Face War Risk as Iran Conflict Escalates

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Desalination underpins water for ~100 million Gulf residents The region’s hundreds of desalination facilities deliver drinking water to roughly 100 million people, making water a vital commodity comparable to oil and gas [1].

Iranian drone hit Bahrain plant; Tehran blames U.S. for Qeshm strike Bahrain officials said an Iranian drone damaged a desalination plant, while Iran’s foreign minister accused the United States of hitting a Qeshm Island plant that affected 30 villages, calling it a “dangerous move” [2][3][4].

Experts warn attacks would be war crimes and existential threats Michael Christopher Low of the University of Utah called a coordinated strike “unthinkable,” and Laurent Lambert of the Doha Institute said targeting desalination is illegal, a war crime, and could cripple nations with only weeks of water storage [1].

Gulf states depend on desalination for 70‑90 % of water Kuwait and Oman obtain about 90 % of drinking water from desalination, Bahrain 85 %, Saudi Arabia 70 %, and major cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City and Jeddah rely almost entirely on the process [1].

Historical and recent precedents show water as a war target In 1991 Iraq released oil to pollute Gulf desalination supplies; Russia has launched over 100 attacks on Ukraine’s water infrastructure, and Israel has destroyed Gaza’s water facilities, indicating a growing erosion of norms protecting water systems [1][6].

Indirect damage and cyber threats heighten vulnerability Recent reports cite damage to the UAE’s Fujairah F1 and Kuwait’s Doha West plants from nearby attacks, and a 2023 U.S. government alert linked Iranian hackers to cyber‑attacks on water infrastructure [7][1].

  • Sofia (UAE resident): “We are, at the end of the day, in a desert… water is the basis of our survival.”
  • Michael Christopher Low, director, Middle East Center, University of Utah: Described a coordinated attack on desalination as “almost ‘unthinkable escalation.’”
  • Laurent Lambert, associate professor of public policy, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies: Stated that attacks on desalination are “illegal — a war crime” and alarming given limited water storage.
  • Nader Habibi, professor of economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University: Said Gulf economies and short‑term survival “are heavily dependent on the safety of these desalination plants.”
  • David Michel, senior fellow for water security, CSIS: Called a concerted attack on desalination “a provocative escalation.”
  • Marwa Daoudy, associate professor of international relations, Georgetown University: Observed that “water has joined the long list of targets and weapons of war.”
  • Zane Swanson, deputy director, Global Food and Water Security Program, CSIS: Warned that loss of large plants “can very easily become existential.”

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