An aerial view of the island of Qeshm, separated from the Iranian mainland by the Clarence Strait. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Iranian media said on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) airstrikes have put a desalination plant on Iran’s Qeshm island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz out of service, though the report did not specify when the attack took place.
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“One of the desalination plants on Qeshm Island was targeted… and is now completely out of service, as it is not possible to repair it in the short term,” the ISNA news agency reported, quoting Health Ministry official Mohsen Farhadi.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said a strike had taken place there on March 7, accusing the U.S. of a “blatant and desperate crime” launched from its military base in Bahrain.
Qeshm is the largest Iranian island in the Gulf, stretching for around 100 km across the Strait of Hormuz.
It has become a popular tourist destination in recent years for Iranians thanks to its rare UNESCO-listed rock formations and turquoise waters, but is also heavily militarised, analysts say.
There have been several attacks on desalination plants in the ongoing war, sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Bahrain reported an Iranian strike on a facility on March 8, apparent retaliation for the U.S. hit on Qeshm the day before.
Kuwait reported an Iranian attack on a desalination and electricity plant on Monday (March 30, 2026), which Tehran blamed on Israel.
West Asia is among the driest regions in the world, with many countries dependent on desalination plants for domestic and industrial water supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday (March 30, 2026) to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, oil wells and “possibly all desalinization plants.”
That would likely draw a tit-for-tat reaction from Tehran that would escalate the conflict dramatically.
Desalinated water provides 42% of drinking water in the United Arab Emirates, 70% in Saudi Arabia, 86% in Oman and 90% in Kuwait, according to a 2022 report from the French Institute of International Relations think tank.
Some analysts have warned that Gulf states would see an attack on their critical water infrastructure as a reason to enter the war directly against Iran.
They have so far remained on the sidelines of the conflict, sustaining damage from Iranian attacks while hosting U.S. bases used for operations against the Islamic republic.
Published – March 31, 2026 05:13 pm IST
