23/03/2026
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23/03/2026
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TEHRAN, (AP), March 23: Following recent threats by Iran, several news outlets published lists of key power and desalination facilities across the Middle East that could be targeted, heightening concerns about energy and water security in the region. The report, released by the semi-official Fars News Agency—closely affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard—appeared to serve as an indirect warning to the listed sites, which include the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. The Barakah plant, located in the western desert near the Saudi border, hosts four nuclear reactors and is a cornerstone of the UAE’s energy infrastructure.
The list was also published by the judiciary-linked Mizan News Agency. Analysts warn that Tehran’s threats place both electricity supplies and water resources at risk, particularly in Gulf Arab nations where power stations are often integrated with desalination plants that provide drinking water to arid regions.
The timing of the threats is particularly sensitive, as Donald Trump’s self-declared 48-hour deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz expires just before midnight GMT Tuesday. The ongoing tensions have already disrupted global energy supplies, driving natural gas and gasoline prices sharply higher and contributing to heightened volatility in international markets.
The situation underscores the escalating risks in the Gulf, where energy, water, and geopolitical pressures are increasingly intertwined, leaving regional nations and international stakeholders on high alert.
Also, Iran’s Defense Council threatened to deploy naval mines across the “entire Persian Gulf” if a land invasion happens. The council expressed concern in Tehran about the potential arrival of U.S. Marines to the region.
“Any attempt by the enemy to target Iran’s coasts or islands will, naturally and in accordance with established military practice, lead to the mining of all access routes ... in the Persian Gulf and along the coasts,” the council said.
The U.S. has been trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, to energy shipments. The Marines could come ashore to seize either islands or territory in Iran to support that mission. Israel has also suggested a ground operation could take part in the war.
