Iran minister says US, Israeli strikes caused ‘heavy damage’ to water, energy infrastructure

TEHRAN: Iran’s critical water and energy infrastructure have suffered extensive damage due to US and Israeli strikes, the country’s energy minister said on Sunday.

Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader and sparking a war that has since spread across the Middle East.

“The country’s vital water and electricity infrastructure has suffered heavy damage following terrorist and cyber attacks by the United States and the Zionist regime,” said energy minister Abbas Aliabadi, according to ISNA news agency.

“The attacks targeted dozens of water transmission and treatment facilities and destroyed parts of critical water supply networks,” he noted, adding that efforts were underway to repair the damage.

Also read: Israel launches new wave of attacks on Iran as crisis deepens

Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if it failed to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Traffic through the vital strait – through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes – has been brought to a near-standstill since the start of the war.

Iranian forces have attacked multiple vessels, saying they failed to heed “warnings” against transiting the waterway.

In recent days, Iran has allowed some vessels from countries it considers friendly to pass, while warning it would block ships from countries it says have joined the “aggression” against it.

In response to Trump, Iran threatened to target energy infrastructure and desalination plants across the region.