As Iran faces drought, Netanyahu offers a deal: Overthrow the mullahs, and Israel will help
Netanyahu’s offer comes as Iran faces record-breaking heat and its fifth consecutive year of drought
A view of Amir Kabir Dam, one of the five main reservoirs supplying water to Tehran, as the Iranian capital faces one of its most severe water crises in recent years, with dam levels dropping to historic lows on July 29, 2025. Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images
(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is offering a lifeline to Iranians as their country faces an acute water crisis and energy shortage — as long as they overthrow their government first.
“The thirst for water in Iran is only matched by the thirst for freedom,” said Netanyahu in a video address Tuesday to the people of Iran. “So here is the great news: The moment your country is free, Israel’s top water experts will flood into every Iranian city bringing cutting-edge technology and know-how.”
Israel is widely seen as a leader is water management, pioneering advances in desalinization to ensure a reliable supply of clean drinking water for a growing population in a drought-prone region. It also leads other nations in the proportion of water it recycles, a statistic that Netanyahu mentioned.
Netanyahu’s address comes weeks after Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire following a 12-day war that began with Israel’s initial strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on June 12.
Since then, record-breaking heat has exacerbated five consecutive years of drought in Iran, leaving the country at risk of running out of water by this fall.
It has also created an opportunity, according to Netanyahu, for dissatisfied Iranians to overthrow their government, which has not retreated in its opposition to Israel and since the war has suspended cooperation with international nuclear inspectors.
“The tyrants of Tehran preferred sending hundreds of billions of dollars not to you, to Hamas, Hezbollah to the Houthis — instead of funding your hospitals, your schools and your roads,” said Netanyahu in his address. He added, “It doesn’t have to be this way. I urge you to be bold and brave — to dare to dream. Take risks for freedom, for your futures, for your families. It’s worth it!”
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