US strikes leave Iranian villages without water
Officials said about 10,000 people in southern Iran lost drinking water after strikes hit desalination and power infrastructure.
Mateo Fernandez ·
US strikes hit water and power infrastructure in southern Iran on Saturday, leaving about 10,000 people across nearly two dozen villages without drinking water, officials said. The outage came during an excessive heat warning and raised the stakes around attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.
Emergency supply operations have begun, and officials said drinking water service was expected to be restored within a week. Iranian officials also said at least 116 telecommunication towers were out of service in southern Iran.
Hormozgan water plants hit
Officials in Hormozgan province said several missiles struck power infrastructure and water desalination facilities near Bonji. A provincial representative said about seven to eight civilians were killed in US attacks over the past two nights, including in a strike that hit two family cars near a bridge.
Iranian officials said Tehran was suspending its commitments under a June memorandum intended to reduce hostilities, accusing Washington of repeated violations. A senior foreign ministry official said Iran was now focused on defending the country.
Iran’s UN representative said in a letter dated Saturday that the attacks damaged ports, transport networks, communications facilities, logistics hubs, radar sites and other infrastructure tied to civilian life and the national economy.
The macro risk is escalation around the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. If strikes on infrastructure continue, shipping, energy security and regional defense postures could face renewed pressure; if emergency repairs hold, the immediate humanitarian shock may narrow. Water restoration is expected by July 25, officials said.