Escalating Conflict in West Asia Targets Critical Energy and Desalination Infrastructure

Kathmandu. Amid the ongoing war in West Asia, the focus of attacks has shifted from oil refineries to energy and desalination centers.

Iran launched an attack on Kuwait's energy and desalination facilities on Friday. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water stated that these facilities sustained physical damage. These attacks have heightened concerns that the region could become uninhabitable.

Following the overnight strikes on Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump warned of further attacks, signaling that power plants could also become targets.

This has added significant anxiety to the Gulf region. Since the war began on February 28, Iran has been conducting retaliatory strikes against West Asian nations beyond Israel.

Because the Gulf region is extremely arid, life here depends entirely on energy and desalination plants. Approximately 90 percent of drinking water is obtained by processing seawater.

If these plants continue to be targeted during the war, the region will quickly become uninhabitable. This situation has left regional leaders deeply concerned.

For a long time, small Gulf nations remained prosperous by staying clear of other conflicts in West Asia. However, that situation is now changing.