TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday accused the United States of targeting a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island, saying the attack disrupted water supplies to dozens of villages.
In a post on X, Araghchi alleged that the strike affected water distribution to 30 villages on the island.
The U.S. committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted.
Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 7, 2026
“The US committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island,” he wrote.
“Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences,” he added, warning that “the US set this precedent, not Iran.”
The accusation came as US President Donald Trump warned that Iran could face further military action, saying the country would be hit “very hard” after Tehran apologised to neighbouring Gulf states for recent strikes that affected civilian sites in the region, reports Reuters.
Iran had earlier expressed regret over attacks that impacted nearby countries. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not target neighbouring states unless attacks against Iran originated from their territory.
Stark warning
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behaviour, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump said.
He also claimed that Iran had apologised to its regional neighbours and pledged to halt further strikes against them following sustained pressure.
“Iran, which is being beat to hell, has apologised and surrendered to its Middle East neighbours, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore,” he said.
“This promise was only made because of the relentless US and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern countries,” Trump added.
Trump further claimed regional leaders had thanked Washington for its actions.
“They have said, ‘Thank you President Trump.’ I have said, ‘You’re welcome!'” he wrote.
He also asserted that Iran was no longer the “bully of the Middle East.”
“Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East.’ They are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse,” Trump said.
Missile and drone attacks
The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has expanded beyond Iran’s borders, with Tehran launching strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military facilities, while Israel has targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Over the past week, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have reported missile and drone attacks.
Earlier, Pezeshkian said Iran’s temporary leadership council had approved suspending attacks on neighbouring countries unless they were used as launch points for strikes against Iran.
“I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” he said.
He later wrote on X: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasised maintaining and strengthening friendly relations with regional governments on the basis of good neighbourliness and mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, this does not negate Iran’s inherent right to defend itself against military aggression by the United States and Israel.
Shift in military strategy
“We stand firm to the last breath in defence of our country and resist. Iran’s defensive operations are exclusively against targets and facilities that are the origin and source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation, and we consider them legitimate targets. We have not attacked our friendly and neighbouring countries; rather, we have targeted US military bases, facilities, and installations in the region.”
It remains unclear whether Pezeshkian’s remarks indicate a shift in Iran’s military strategy, as reports suggested some strikes continued towards Gulf states on Saturday morning.
Gulf governments have strongly condemned the strikes, noting that civilian infrastructure—including hotels, ports and oil facilities—had been targeted despite their lack of involvement in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
