Desalination plants in the Persian Gulf, which supply fresh water to approximately 100 million people, have become critical infrastructure threatened by the military conflict linked to Iran.

Countries such as Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain depend on desalination for nearly their entire drinking water supply. According to Michael Christopher Low from the University of Utah, these nations function as "global superpowers in producing artificial water from the sea using fossil fuels."

Recent incidents have heightened fears. A Bahraini drone struck a desalination facility, and Iran subsequently claimed that the US had hit infrastructure on the island of Qeshm. Experts warn that coordinated attacks on these installations could trigger cascading consequences for major cities, including Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

There are historical precedents - during the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq deliberately spilled oil into the Persian Gulf, contaminating water sources. Scientists emphasize that attacks on civilian water infrastructure constitute a serious violation of international law.