The island nation that is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Bahrain, on Sunday became the first Arab country to accuse Iran of a drone attack that caused “material damage” to a desalination plant during the nine-day conflict in the Middle East.
“Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to water desalination facilities following a drone attack,” the interior ministry said after Tehran earlier accused the US of attacking one of its own desalination facilities from a base in Bahrain.
At least 3 people were injured, he said.
What is the importance of desalination plants in the Persian Gulf?
Hundreds of desalination plants line the Persian Gulf coast, with Arab countries in the region relying heavily on them for their drinking water supply, AP reports.
According to a research paper published by the company Arab Center Washington DCGulf Cooperation Council member states account for approximately 60% of the world’s desalination capacity and produce nearly 40% of global desalinated water through more than 400 plants across the region.
Most GCC countries depend heavily on desalination to meet their water requirements. In the UAE, about 42% of drinking water comes from desalination plants, rising to 90% in Kuwait, 86% in Oman and 70% in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, with capacity estimated to reach 8.5 million cubic meters (300 million cubic feet) per day by 2025 after investing about $80 billion in new projects.
Meanwhile, late Saturday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined the next phase of the conflict and said Israel intended to destabilize the Iranian regime and allow a change of government, Israeli forces launched another wave of strikes. Among the targets was an oil storage facility in Tehran, the first apparent attack on a civilian industrial site, sending massive flames into the night sky.
The American-Israeli, Iranian conflict
Israel and the United States began the conflict on February 28, saying their attacks targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile programs while signaling an intention to topple the Iranian government. The conflict has since spread across the region, roiling global markets, disrupting air traffic and leaving Iran’s leadership under pressure after hundreds of Israeli and US airstrikes.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at neighboring Gulf countries, while Israel stepped up its attacks in Lebanon. Strikes were also reported from Cyprus in waters near Sri Lanka.
