Iran using water as a weapon against Iraq

Islam Mohamed

The Iranian regime practices what amounts to terrorism, using water as a weapon against the people of Iraq.

Iran has recently decided to cutting off water supplies to Iraq, according to the Iraqi government on Sunday.

It said the Iranian decision makes farmland in Iraq prone to total drought.

This is a blatant violation of all laws and customs that regulate the rights of states to those trans-boundary rivers, the government said.

The Iraqi Minister of Water Resources paid a visit to affected areas in Diyala province which is located near the Iranian border.

He said his government would turn to the international community to save Iraq from drought.

The minister sent a note to the Iranian side earlier, asking it to abide by protocols and agreements on the sharing and use of water resources.

Tehran did not, however, reply to the minister’s note.

The Iranian move came at a time Iraq is already suffering from water scarcity. It is a semi-desert country with little rain and fully dependent on water from Turkey, Iran and Syria.

It is estimated that Baghdad’s water needs exceed 70 billion cubic meters of water. More than two-thirds of this water goes to agricultural.

The water coming from Iran used to meet a third of Iraq’s needs.

Tehran denies Iraq’s legitimate rights in the light of international water-sharing laws. It takes advantage of the weakness of the Iraqi government and the strength of the Shiite militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. These militias have a major say in Iraq.