Iran's president mocks Netanyahu over pledge of help in water crisis

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday mocked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to help with Iran's water crisis.

Pezeshkian said on X that Israel has denied Palestinians access to water and food, so can't be trusted.

“A regime that deprives people of Gaza from water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A MIRAGE, NOTHING MORE," he said.

Pezeshkian also said during a Cabinet meeting in Tehran that “those with a deceptive appearance are falsely claiming compassion for the people of Iran.

"First look at the difficult situation of Gaza and (their) defenseless people, especially children who are struggling ... because of hunger, lack of access to potable water and medicine, because of a siege by the brutal regime.”

Netanyahu addressed Iranians in a video message on Tuesday, pledging that Israel would help solve the country’s severe water shortages once Iran is “free” from the current government, according to Israeli media, including The Jerusalem Post.

The remarks represent a transformation from a state of a war to political spats. In June, Israel carried out waves of airstrikes on Iran, killing nearly 1,100 people, including many military commanders. Retaliatory Iranian strikes killed 28 people in Israel.

On Sunday, Pezeshkian told a group off officials that “we do not have water, we do not have water under our feet and we do not have water behind our dams, so you tell me what do we do? Someone comes and tells me what do I have to do?”

He said that “we are in a serious and unimaginable crisis,” and added that his administration is in touch with experts who are trying to find a solution to the problem.

Experts say years of drought and water mismanagement led to the crisis.