Vicious: US Attacks Cut Off Water Access for Iranians Amid Drought

Iranian officials have accused the United States military of intentionally targeting civilian water infrastructure in the southern port city of Sirik, Hormozgan province, branding the strikes a calculated war crime. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the attacks destroyed two reservoirs that supply drinking water to more than 20,000 residents across ten villages. “This is not collateral damage – this is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Baghaei stated, demanding the US be held accountable for “systematic brutal attacks on civilian life-support infrastructure.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that the US strikes, which hit several locations including Sirik, Jask, Minab, Qeshm Island, and Bandar Abbas, caused major damage to telecommunications towers and destroyed the two water reservoirs in Sirik. Iran’s West Asia News Agency (WANA) reported that the two concrete water storage reservoirs in the Bamani district were hit, with initial loss estimates ranging from 780,000 to 830,000 US dollars. The IRGC claimed it launched retaliatory strikes against US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan following the attack.

The destruction occurs against the backdrop of a years-long drought and declining rainfall in Iran. After prolonged poor agricultural practices and mismanagement, the country’s main water supplies — including reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater reserves — are drying up. According to the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct data, Iran’s water shortage is classified as “extremely high,” meaning the nation uses more than 80 percent of its renewable water resources annually.