{"id":2323,"date":"2026-07-24T03:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T03:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/07\/24\/why-iran-is-targeting-kuwaits-desalination-plants-as-part-of-its-war-strategy\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T03:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T03:10:22","slug":"why-iran-is-targeting-kuwaits-desalination-plants-as-part-of-its-war-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=2323","title":{"rendered":"Why Iran is targeting Kuwait&#8217;s desalination plants as part of its war strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Why Iran is targeting Kuwait&#8217;s desalination plants as part of its war strategy<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-cartouche\">Explainer<\/div>\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Iranian strikes targeted Kuwait\u2019s\u00a0desalination and power plants for the fourth\u00a0consecutive day on Monday. The attacks are putting unprecedented pressure on a Gulf country heavily dependant on desalination for its water supply. Iran is attempting to wage a \u201cpsychological war\u201d on a country with few options for striking back, according to some analysts.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-07-23T16:53:18+00:00\">23\/07\/2026 &#8211; 18:53<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    4 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/sophian-aubin\/\" title=\"Sophian Aubin\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Sophian Aubin<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c6ab2b0e-85ea-11f1-a430-005056bfb2b6\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-07-21T135520Z-950614241-RC2DIMA49QH1-RTRMADP-3-IRAN-CRISIS-KUWAIT.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c6ab2b0e-85ea-11f1-a430-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:16x9\/2026-07-21T135520Z-950614241-RC2DIMA49QH1-RTRMADP-3-IRAN-CRISIS-KUWAIT.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c6ab2b0e-85ea-11f1-a430-005056bfb2b6\/w:720\/p:16x9\/2026-07-21T135520Z-950614241-RC2DIMA49QH1-RTRMADP-3-IRAN-CRISIS-KUWAIT.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c6ab2b0e-85ea-11f1-a430-005056bfb2b6\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-07-21T135520Z-950614241-RC2DIMA49QH1-RTRMADP-3-IRAN-CRISIS-KUWAIT.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Satellite image shows smoke rising from Subiya Power and Water Desalination Plant in Subiya, Kuwait on July 18, 2026\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                Satellite image shows smoke rising from Subiya Power and Water Desalination Plant in Subiya, Kuwait on July 18, 2026.        \u00a9 CNES 2026, Reuters    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>Concerns are mounting over\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/kuwait\/\" target=\"_self\">Kuwait<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/water\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">water<\/a> supply after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran<\/a>\u00a0once again\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260720-us-strikes-iran-ninth-consecutive-day-more-ships-targeted-strait-of-hormuz-kuwait-bahrain\" target=\"_self\">struck power stations and desalination plants<\/a>\u00a0on Monday, sparking fires in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260717-civilian-infrastructure-hit-as-us-and-iran-escalate-attacks-across-the-middle-east\" target=\"_self\">fourth consecutive day of attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In response, authorities have asked the public to reduce their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/electricity\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">electricity<\/a> consumption \u2013 particularly the use of energy-hungry air conditioning \u2013 to ensure\u00a0an uninterrupted power\u00a0supply.<\/p>\n<h2>Water anxieties in a desert region<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/bahrain\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Bahrain<\/a> and Kuwait already saw Iranian strikes against their desalination plants back in March.\u00a0But by striking these plants in the middle of summer, Iran has dealt a particularly painful blow to Kuwait.<\/p>\n<p>Kuwait has <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.hapres.com\/UpLoad\/PdfFile\/JSR_1836.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">virtually no freshwater resources<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/middle-east\/middle-east-confronts-intensifying-water-crisis-as-desalination-becomes-lifeline-for-region\/3856366\" target=\"_blank\">90 percent of its drinking water<\/a> is generated by seawater desalination plants. Moreover, Kuwait relies on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0011916407004389\" target=\"_blank\">cogeneration<\/a> to produce both electricity and desalinated water at the same plant; with a single strike, Iran can cut off both water and power.<\/p>\n<div class=\"m-em-video\">\n<div class=\"o-video-player o-video-player--16x9\" data-media-video-wbmz569157-f24-en-20260718 data-show-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ569157-F24-EN-20260718\" data-wrapper-video-player data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices                <\/p>\n<p><\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/eff2976e-82bf-11f1-ab05-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/EN-20260718-160220-160416-CS.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/eff2976e-82bf-11f1-ab05-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:16x9\/EN-20260718-160220-160416-CS.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/eff2976e-82bf-11f1-ab05-005056bf30b7\/w:720\/p:16x9\/EN-20260718-160220-160416-CS.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/eff2976e-82bf-11f1-ab05-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/EN-20260718-160220-160416-CS.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n    Cover image:                    \u00a9 France 24    <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">01:55<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ569157-F24-EN-20260718\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tehran justifies these attacks by citing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/us-military\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">US military<\/a> presence\u00a0in the country.\u00a0With some 13,000 American troops on its soil, Kuwait hosts one of the largest US contingents in the region.<\/p>\n<p>But Kuwait \u201calso suffers the consequences of its geography\u201d, said Rapha\u00ebl Le Magoariec, an expert who specialises in geopolitics of the Gulf region. Located just a few hundred\u00a0kilometres\u00a0from Iranian territory, Kuwait is an \u201ceasy target\u201d for Iran,\u00a0which can cheaply and easily strike the country without having to resort to sophisticated technology.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u00a0has\u00a0accused Washington of using similar tactics when\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/iran-desalination-plant-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-out-of-service-following-strikes\" target=\"_self\">the US struck a desalination plant on Qeshm Island on March 7<\/a>. Tehran said additional US strikes on July 18 destroyed the Bonji desalination plant near Djask and damaged another facility on Qeshm Island, depriving some 10,000 people of fresh water in around 20 villages, according to Iranian television. The United States has denied the accusations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/iran-desalination-plant-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-out-of-service-following-strikes\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Iran desalination plant in the Strait of Hormuz out of service following strikes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This type of conflict is \u201cunprecedented in the region\u201d,\u00a0but foreseeable,\u00a0according to\u00a0Pierre Blanc, a lecturer in geopolitics\u00a0at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Bordeaux\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/fr\/tag\/sciences-po\/\" target=\"_self\">Sciences\u00a0Po<\/a> Bordeaux.\u00a0\u201cThe major vulnerability of this water supply system is that it relies on a handful of desalination plants, which are extremely sensitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blanc says this is not the great \u201cwater war\u201d that was feared because\u00a0blocking access to water is not the main motive of these attacks. Instead, this is a war using water as a weapon, a war \u201cfought through water\u201d. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Kuwait unable to retaliate<\/h2>\n<p>Iranian media had\u00a0reported Tehran\u2019s\u00a0plans to target\u00a0cogeneration\u00a0infrastructure as early as the end of\u00a0January,\u00a0said Cl\u00e9ment Therme, a researcher at the International Institute for Iranian Studies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scarred by the trauma of the Gulf War, Kuwait has\u00a0remained wary of\u00a0regional geopolitical alignments. The\u00a0ruling Al-Sabah dynasty\u00a0has opposed normalisation with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_self\">Israel<\/a>\u00a0but also\u00a0refrained\u00a0from threatening\u00a0rhetoric towards Tehran, in contrast to several of its neighbours.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Kuwait has been targeted by some\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/middle-east\/2026\/07\/21\/kuwait-scarred-by-1990-iraqi-invasion-becomes-irans-softest-gulf-target\/\" target=\"_blank\">1,400 Iranian missile and drone attacks<\/a>\u00a0since February,\u00a0according to an Israeli think tank,\u00a0making it the most targeted country after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/united-arab-emirates\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">United Arab Emirates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260717-civilian-infrastructure-hit-as-us-and-iran-escalate-attacks-across-the-middle-east\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Civilian infrastructure hit as US and Iran escalate attacks across the Middle East<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no connection between a country\u2019s political stance and being targeted by Iran,\u201d said Therme.<\/p>\n<p>Kuwait and the US\u00a0interests\u00a0stationed there are targeted because Kuwait\u00a0\u201chas no armed forces capable of retaliating \u2026\u00a0it is not going to go to war with Iran\u201d, Therme said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kuwait\u2019s\u00a0vulnerability \u201callows Iran to inflict a cost on it without incurring any military consequences on its own territory\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Since the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/usa\/\" target=\"_self\">US<\/a>\u00a0and Israel launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran-conflict\/\" target=\"_self\">war in Iran<\/a> on February 28,\u00a0Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/masoud-pezeshkian\/\" target=\"_self\">Masoud Pezeshkian<\/a>\u00a0have tried to\u00a0\u201creassure\u201d their Arab neighbours. The regional states are \u201cbrothers\u201d, Pezeshkian\u00a0reiterated\u00a0in March,\u00a0stating\u00a0that the purpose of Iranian strikes on Muslim land was only ever to target US interests.<\/p>\n<p>However, &#8220;when a desalination plant is targeted, especially in Kuwait, the first victim is not Washington but\u00a0the\u00a0civilian population&#8221;,\u00a0noted\u00a0Rachida-Chachida Ababsa, an independent researcher specialising in US policy in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/middle-east\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Middle East<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What Kuwait is experiencing today is something we did not experience even during the Iraqi invasion in terms of psychological pressure and not knowing where events are headed,&#8221;\u00a0Kuwaiti civil servant, Nasser al-Dhafiri,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20260721-kuwaitis-ration-electricity-as-iran-hits-power-grid\" target=\"_self\">told AFP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is also attempting to wage a \u201cpsychological war\u201d, according to Ababsa.\u00a0By showing that it can target such vital infrastructure despite a robust US military presence, Tehran is trying to demonstrate to the Gulf monarchies that Washington\u2019s security umbrella is \u201cneither total nor infallible\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The \u2018Great Satan\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>According to Therme, the current conflict is a practical extension of the objectives of the 1979 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/islamic-revolution\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Islamic Revolution<\/a>, which called for Gulf States to sever ties with the US \u2013 the \u201cGreat Satan\u201d \u2013 a precondition for good relations with Tehran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/gulf-council-blasts-war-crimes-by-iran\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Gulf council blasts &#8220;war crimes&#8221; by Iran<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A broader threat also looms over the region. The volume of naturally occurring freshwater available per capita in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/oman\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Oman<\/a>, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/qatar\/\" target=\"_self\">Qatar<\/a> \u2013 is\u00a0expected to fall to 59m<sup>3\u00a0<\/sup>by 2050\u00a0from 95m<sup>3<\/sup>,\u00a0a contraction of almost 38 percent,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/defenseclimat.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ObsDefClim_2025_05_8_Gulf_Note_EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">according to the Defence and Climate Observatory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Once dotted with modest fishing villages, the coasts of the Arabian Sea\u00a0were\u00a0transformed by skyscrapers\u00a0amid the oil rush in the second half of the 20th century.<\/p>\n<p>From air conditioning to desalination, modern life in Kuwait and other Gulf states relies on technology\u00a0made possible by hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n<p>Le Magoariec says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/climate-change\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">climate change<\/a> is often \u201cswept under the carpet\u201d by the ruling monarchies for this reason: tackling such a vast challenge would call into question the regional regimes that depend entirely on oil revenue to power the technologies that render otherwise uninhabitable areas hospitable.<\/p>\n<p>By targeting desalination plants, Le Mogoariec says Iran is waging a war &#8220;against the very habitability of the region\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article has been translated from the\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/fr\/moyen-orient\/20260723-guerre-au-moyen-orient-pourquoi-l-iran-cible-les-usines-de-dessalement-au-kowe%C3%AFt\" target=\"_self\"><em>original in French<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/author\/simon-feisthauer-fournet\/\" target=\"_self\">Simon Feisthauer Fournet<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/middle-east\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Middle East\">    Middle East<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran\">    Iran<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran-conflict\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran war\">    Iran war<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/kuwait\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Kuwait\">    Kuwait<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/water\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"water\">    water<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/usa\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"USA\">    USA<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/features\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Features\">    Features<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/masoud-pezeshkian\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Masoud Pezeshkian\">    Masoud Pezeshkian<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Why Iran is targeting Kuwait&#8217;s desalination plants as part of its war strategy Explainer&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}