TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON: Iran warned it would strike energy and water infrastructure across the Gulf if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to attack its electricity grid, raising fears of mass disruption in a region heavily dependent on desalination for drinking water. Hours earlier, the Israeli military said it had completed a wave of strikes on Tehran that targeted a military base as well as weapons production and storage facilities. But while attacks on electricity could hurt Iran, they would be potentially catastrophic for its Gulf neighbours, which consume around five times as much power per capita. Such plants use seawater to meet more than 80% of drinking water needs in the United Arab Emirates, and 50% of the water supply in Saudi Arabia. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin told reporters Israel continues to hit Iran nonstop and expects "weeks more of fighting against Iran and Hezbollah."

Source: The Star March 23, 2026 18:56 UTC