Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday accused the United States of deliberately targeting civilian water infrastructure, calling it a flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and demanding that America be held accountable.

Baghaei also said Tehran was reviewing negotiations with Washington in light of the strikes, accusing the US and Israel of “repeated ceasefire violations” and warning that diplomacy cannot “take place in a vacuum.”

The remarks came after overnight US strikes allegedly destroyed two water reservoirs in the Sirik area of Hormozgan province, cutting off drinking water to more than 20,000 residents across ten villages in the Bemani and Kouhestak areas.

With temperatures in the region reaching between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius, local officials described conditions as “extremely difficult and critical.”

Emergency measures, including water delivery by tanker trucks, are under way.

Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s water industry, separately called the strikes a war crime.

Abdolhamid Hamzehpour, chief executive of Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company, confirmed both reservoirs had been destroyed and said teams were working to arrange alternative water sources for affected residents.

President Masoud Pezeshkian also condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure, saying destroying basic services was not a show of strength.

Iranian state media quoted him as saying such actions reflected the panic of those who faced a nation that refused to yield, and that Iran would stand firm against all threats and pressure.

The US military described its strikes as “self-defence” and a “proportional response” following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has not directly responded to the war crime allegations.

The Sirik strikes are not the first time water infrastructure in southern Iran has come under fire.

In March, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of striking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island, which he said disrupted water supplies to 30 villages. The US and Israel denied that attack.