Aliabadi raps Khuzestan water attack as humanitarian violation
Iran condemned a US attack on a water pumping station in the southwestern province of Khuzestan early on Monday, with Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi calling the targeting of critical water and electricity infrastructure a violation of international humanitarian law.
Aliabadi condemned the US strike on the RMD drainage pumping station in Hendijan, saying attacks on water and electricity facilities directly threatened public health, safety and people's lives.
"Attacking water and electricity infrastructure is a direct attack on people's health, security and lives," he said, as stated by the Energy Ministry's news service.
He said the facilities were vital civilian infrastructure that provided essential public services and urged the international community to respond firmly and responsibly to such actions.
Offering condolences over the death of an employee of the Khuzestan Water and Power Authority who was killed in the attack, Aliabadi said the incident showed that targeting critical infrastructure also endangered the lives of public service workers and constituted "a clear violation of international humanitarian law."
He also referred to attacks on Iran's water and electricity infrastructure during the 40-day US-Israeli war that began in late February, saying water facilities, desalination plants in southern Iran, power plants and parts of the electricity grid were targeted. Despite the attacks, employees in the water and electricity sectors had maintained uninterrupted services, he said.
"The Energy Ministry and employees of the water and electricity sectors will continue providing services with full capacity and will not allow these actions to disrupt the stable supply of water and electricity to the public," Aliabadi said.
Separately, Iran's water industry spokesman Issa Bozorgzadeh said the attack on the RMD drainage pumping station in Hendijan had been intended to disrupt the operation of the vital facility.
Bozorgzadeh said employees of the water sector began working immediately after the incident to manage the situation, reduce the impact of the damage and ensure continued services.