Iran's Pezeshkian criticises Netanyahu's pledge to help in water crisis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to help the country deal with its water crisis, saying he should first address the situation in Gaza.

Pezeshkian's response came as 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.

“A regime that deprives people of Gaza of water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A mirage, nothing more,” Pezeshkian said on X.

The Iranian president also doubled down on the comments during a cabinet meeting in Tehran, saying that “those with a deceptive appearance are falsely claiming compassion for the people of Iran."

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

The remarks mark a return to political spats that follow Israel's waves of airstrikes on Iran in June, targeting nuclear facilities, top military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Water and power issues persist

On Wednesday, authorities in Iran ordered government offices and banks across much of the country to close as surging summer temperatures and the worsening water crisis strain the power grid.

The closure is the second this summer announced by state television, according to media reports.

As temperatures across the capital Tehran have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, authorities urged residents to avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours and conserve water and energy.

Iran produces some 62,000 megawatts of electric energy per hour at its peak, but needs about 80,000 megawatts to meet its needs.

Experts warn that the two-hour electrical outages that Tehran and other cities currently face every other day could soon extend to four hours.

On Sunday, reports say Pezeshkian told a group of 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?”

Pezeshkian said that Iran is 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.