Iran's 'Water Attacks' Echo Ancient Siege Tactics in Modern Middle East

Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of armies seeking victory by cutting off or contaminating enemy water supplies. During the Second Siege of Constantinople in 626, Persian allied forces attempted to force the Roman Empire into submission by destroying the Valens Aqueduct, the city's water supply. Records also show that in 1155, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I secured surrender during his siege of Tortona in northern Italy by contaminating wells with corpses. Such war crimes targeting civilian lifelines continue today. Investigations reveal that Israel has conducted approximately 250 "water attacks" over the past five years alone in Palestinian territories, including bombing water resources, spreading toxins, and killing children collecting water.

Recently, after its own desalination facilities came under attack, Iran retaliated by striking desalination plants in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates—countries not directly involved in the conflict. This asymmetric tactic targeting civilians reflects Iran's limited capability to directly attack the United States and Israel, instead seeking to escalate regional tensions to increase pressure for a ceasefire. Most Middle Eastern nations depend on desalination facilities that convert seawater into freshwater for the majority of their drinking water. Iran, by contrast, draws water from rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater, with desalination accounting for only about 3% of its supply.

In 2010, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency assessed that "the most important strategic resource in the Middle East is not oil but water," warning that "attacks on desalination facilities would trigger national crises in several Gulf states." This scenario materialized during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi forces destroyed desalination facilities and contaminated water intake pipes while retreating from Kuwait, forcing the country to import water for an extended period. Furthermore, Gulf states import 80-90% of their food from abroad, meaning a prolonged Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could threaten their food security. South Korea, classified as a "water-stressed country" with food self-sufficiency below 50%, cannot afford to view the Middle East situation as a distant concern—particularly as Northeast Asian security dynamics and global supply chains undergo rapid transformation.