Iran Targets Water Infrastructure in Cyberattacks Amid Middle East Tensions

The Middle East faces severe water scarcity despite abundant oil and gas resources, with countries relying heavily on desalination and groundwater extraction. Iran, grappling with its own water crisis, has increasingly used water infrastructure as a strategic target in cyber and kinetic attacks against its adversaries, including Israel, the United States, and Gulf states.

Recent reports reveal a series of Iranian cyberattacks on water systems: in 2020, Iran launched a cyberattack on Israeli water facilities aiming to alter chlorine levels, potentially disrupting water supply to thousands. Israel retaliated with a cyberattack on an Iranian port. Later that year, Iran attempted further cyber intrusions on Israeli water and sewage plants, which were quickly neutralized without damage.

In November 2023, Iranian-backed hackers from the Revolutionary Guards’ CyberAv3ngers group compromised a water desalination plant in Pennsylvania, USA, disabling automated pressure controls and forcing manual operation. Additionally, Iranian proxies, the Houthis, attacked Saudi energy and desalination facilities in 2022 using Iranian cruise missiles and drones.

Following the outbreak of kinetic conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran in February 2026, attacks on water infrastructure intensified. Iran claimed US strikes on a desalination plant on Qeshm Island disrupted water supply to 30 villages, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf facilities. In July 2026, Iran alleged US destruction of a desalination plant near Jasak, cutting water to 20 villages, with subsequent Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti desalination and power stations.

Experts like Dr. Eyal Pinko from Bar-Ilan University emphasize the psychological aim behind these attacks: to instill fear and achieve military, economic, and political gains. Iran’s cyber warfare capabilities are bolstered by strategic cooperation with China, Russia, and North Korea, forming a multifaceted threat axis. Despite Israel’s advanced cyber defenses, regulatory gaps and decentralized government cybersecurity efforts remain vulnerabilities.

Water scarcity remains a critical challenge in the region, with Gulf states heavily dependent on desalination (up to 90% in Kuwait). The ongoing conflict and cyber warfare threaten the stability of these vital infrastructures, underscoring the complex hybrid warfare Iran employs against multiple adversaries simultaneously.