Iran water crisis leaves tens of thousands without drinking water after US attacks

In the southern Hormozgan province of Iran, at least 10,000 people were left without drinking water on Saturday after United States air strikes damaged the region’s water‑supply infrastructure. Iranian officials said a precision strike on a desalination plant serving the Jazak district caused a loss of service to roughly 20 settlements, compounding an ongoing heat wave that pushed temperatures over 40 °C in many locations.

The United States said the attacks were aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities, while Tehran condemned the strikes as a violation of international law, describing them as war crimes that also harmed civilians. Iranian UN ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani sent a letter to the United Nations denouncing the attacks. President Donald Trump reiterated that the United States would not pay defense fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz but warned of a full naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran responded by targeting U.S. military bases in the region.

The water shortage is expected to have severe health and humanitarian impacts if the infrastructure is not quickly restored, especially as the extreme heat continues.