Tehran— Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to help address Iran’s severe water shortage, calling it hypocritical and deceptive.
Speaking on X, Pezeshkian accused Israel of denying Palestinians in Gaza access to basic necessities, including water and food, making Netanyahu’s pledge “a mirage, nothing more.”
“A regime that deprives people of Gaza of water and food says it will bring water to Iran? This is nothing but deception,” Pezeshkian wrote.
During a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, he criticized those “with a deceptive appearance” who claim compassion for Iranians, urging them to first look at the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where children and civilians are struggling with hunger, lack of clean water, and shortages of medicine due to the Israeli blockade.
Netanyahu’s remarks, made in a video message on Tuesday, promised Israeli assistance in resolving Iran’s water crisis “once the country is free from its current government,” according to Israeli media reports, including The Jerusalem Post.
The exchange comes amid lingering tensions following deadly military escalations in June, when Israeli airstrikes on Iran killed nearly 1,100 people, including military commanders, while Iranian retaliatory strikes left 28 dead in Israel.
On Sunday, Pezeshkian acknowledged the severity of Iran’s water crisis, stating: “We do not have water under our feet, and we do not have water behind our dams… We are in a serious and unimaginable crisis.” He confirmed that his administration is working with experts to find solutions.
Environmental specialists attribute the crisis to years of drought and mismanagement of water resources.