Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced that an Iranian strike targeted a combined power and water desalination plant on July 17, causing a fire and material damage to sections of the facility along with several electricity generation units. The ministry stated that emergency and operational plans were activated immediately, with the General Fire Force coordinating efforts to bring the blaze under control. Technical teams began round-the-clock repairs on the affected infrastructure while disconnecting impacted generating units as a precaution to protect personnel and preserve overall system balance.
According to the ministry’s statement, monitoring of the national electricity grid continues without interruption, and authorities have urged citizens and residents to reduce power consumption particularly between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to aid restoration efforts. The ministry emphasized that all further developments would be communicated exclusively through its official channels to ensure accuracy amid the situation. This coordinated response drew on established protocols between the ministry, firefighting services and other relevant bodies.
The ministry’s assessment found no immediate widespread disruption to electricity or water supplies following the incident, though full evaluations of the damage remain in progress. Kuwait produces the bulk of its drinking water through desalination, rendering such dual-purpose plants essential to national infrastructure in one of the world’s most arid regions. A 2023 World Bank assessment of Middle East water security noted that Gulf Cooperation Council states account for more than half of global desalination output, underscoring the strategic importance of these facilities.
Firefighting teams managed to contain the fire before it spread further, the ministry reported, allowing technical personnel to focus on reconnecting viable units and assessing long-term repairs. The incident prompted a review of safety measures across similar sites, according to the ministry’s update. International wire services including Asharq Al-Awsat and Iran Wire carried the ministry’s account, confirming the sequence of attack, fire and response.
Kuwait’s electricity authority indicated that precautionary disconnections helped maintain grid stability even as repairs advanced on the damaged components. The ministry’s data placed the affected plant among key contributors to both power generation and potable water output for the greater Kuwait City area. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely, with technical teams prioritizing a return to normal operations as conditions allow.
