Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation.

On Wednesday, the U.S. military bombed what appeared to be drinking water facilities in southwestern Iran, near the contested Strait of Hormuz.

It is so far unclear whether the strikes, which occurred near the village of Bemani, were an intentional attempt to destroy civilian infrastructure. Such an attack would be classified as a war crime under international law.

The facilities that were bombed belong to the Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company. The U.S. claims that the attacks were in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter earlier this week. Iran responded by saying the rationale for the attacks was a “false pretext.”

“The U.S. must be held accountable for committing such systematic brutal attacks on civilian life-sustaining infrastructure,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.

Water supply for around 20,000 residents was temporarily disrupted due to the attack. Iranian media indicated that the flow of water has since been restored. Still, the destruction of the water facilities is especially problematic for people living nearby, as they live under difficult conditions due to extreme heat and decades-long drought.

Trump Has Said Iran War Deal Is Close at Least 38 Times Since Start of Conflict

Iran is classified as........

© Truthout