Desalination Under Fire: Gulf Water Security on the Brink
TL;DR
Bahrain says an Iranian drone damaged a Gulf desalination plant—the first reported attack in the region during the current conflict—while Iran accuses the US of hitting a plant on Qeshm Island, highlighting the Gulf’s heavy reliance on desalinated water. GCC states account for a large share of global desalination capacity, making outages potentially severe for drinking water and agriculture; experts urge regional coordination, diversified and distributed desalination, and shared water reserves to bolster resilience amid ongoing tensions.
- How targeting of desalination plants could disrupt water supply in the Gulf Al Jazeera
- Oil built the Persian Gulf. Desalinated water keeps it alive. War could threaten both AP News
- Why the Middle East’s Desalination Plants Are Critical WSJ
- The Iran War’s Most Precious Commodity Isn’t Oil Bloomberg
- Threats to water supply and food inflation stalk Gulf states Middle East Eye
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