The shutdown of desalination plants in the Gulf countries would be dramatic for the residents of the desert region.
The approximately 9 million inhabitants of Riyadh might have to urgently leave the Saudi capital, suddenly deprived of water. In Doha, Qatar, should the population fear death or disease due to lack of drinking water?
This is the threat that Tehran is now brandishing. Donald Trump warned that he would strike Iranian power plants if the country did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran retaliated that it would then attack the energy and “vital” infrastructure of the region, particularly desalination facilities. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, warned that these facilities could be “irreparably destroyed.”
Some desalination facilities have already been affected, on the Iranian island of Qechm near the Strait of Hormuz, where the site was visited by the United States according to Tehran; and in the island state of Bahrain. The damages are limited for now. But, …
[Context: The article discusses the potential dire consequences of the shutdown of desalination plants in the Gulf region due to escalating tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz.]
[Fact Check: The article mentions the threats made by both the US and Iran regarding key infrastructure, including desalination facilities, in the region.]
