‘Win-win for our people’: Iranian opposition seeks Israeli expertise in visit for post-regime Iran

A seven-member team led by Crown Prince associates explores a cooperation blueprint for post-Islamic Republic Iran.

A high-level Iranian opposition delegation arrived in Israel this week to meet with security cabinet member and Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel, to participate in a “Beyond the Horizon” conference, looking ahead to a post-Islamic Republic Iran.

The seven-member delegation, led by Dr. Saeed Ghasseminejad, an Iranian economist and senior financial economics advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), came to Israel at the behest of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and marks the latest phase of the Iran Prosperity Project, a comprehensive blueprint for rebuilding Iran following the fall of the current regime.

“We have come to Israel to see what kind of expertise, Israeli experts, what kind of solutions they have for the problems that Iran faces. For example, the water crisis,” Ghasseminejad told The Jerusalem Post during a sitdown meeting in Tel Aviv.

The visit marks a significant development in Iranian opposition outreach to Israel, following Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s historic visit to the Jewish state two years ago. The delegation’s mission centers on the “Cyrus Accords,” a vision for comprehensive Iranian-Israeli cooperation named after the ancient Persian king who liberated the Jews from Babylonian exile 2,500 years ago.

The Iran Prosperity Project, which involves more than 100 advisors and experts working to revitalize Iran’s economic and political future, has published a 170-page emergency reconstruction plan covering 15 critical areas, from political transition and security reforms to technical challenges including energy, water management, and environmental restoration.

“We consulted with many experts inside Iran to get their opinions, to get their comments,” Ghasseminejad explained. “The booklet has become the main topic of discussion in Iran over the past two or three weeks.”

The response has been unprecedented. The document has generated millions of social media comments and hundreds of hours of television discussion across Iran. The project’s website has received over 5,000 responses from Iranian citizens offering suggestions, criticisms, and visions for their country’s future.

“The Crown Prince and I think the Iranians in general see Israel as a strategic partner for the people of Iran and for the future government of Iran. We both benefit a lot from cooperation,” Ghasseminejad said.

Gamliel, who hosted the delegation and has a close relationship with the prince, emphasized Israel’s unique position to address Iran’s water emergency.

“Israel is the solution to the problem,” Gamliel told the Post. “If you see what this regime is doing, it makes the people inside Iran suffer. Suffer without water, with the huge air pollution, with the problems about the energy, and electricity. And we are the solution to all of this.”

The timing of the delegation’s visit coincides with Iran’s most severe water crisis in living memory. The Iranian government recently declared an emergency public holiday in Tehran Province as the nation battles a crippling water shortage and energy crisis, compounded by soaring temperatures that have pushed the country’s aging infrastructure to its breaking point.

“What’s really a miracle in Israel is that you don’t have a lot of water, but you have managed to build this very vibrant society and provide water not just for drinking, but for industrial work and for agriculture,” Ghasseminejad observed. “Unfortunately, under the current regime, right now many Iranians don’t have water for many hours per day.”

Gamliel drew historical parallels between the current initiative and Iran-Israel cooperation before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Israel helped build infrastructure inside Iran.

“What happened before this regime, that [Israel] helped build the infrastructure inside Iran and it was an important relationship between both countries. It is 2,500 years since [Iranian King] Cyrus, and so we named it the Cyrus Accords because we said it is like the Abraham Accords,” she explained.

The minister expressed confidence in the Iranian opposition leadership, particularly Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. “I really believe in him, and I really believe in Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, that he will be the next leader of Iran.”

Iran’s growing water crisis pushes the country to its limits

Iran is currently experiencing a major water crisis that has pushed the country to its limits. President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a stark warning during a recent cabinet meeting, citing an Energy Ministry report that revealed the crisis was more severe than publicly acknowledged.

“The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today, and if we do not take urgent action now, we will face a situation in the future for which no remedy can be found,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.

Tehran’s water utility has announced that current reserves in the capital’s main dams have plummeted to their lowest levels in a century. Officials cite an unprecedented five-year drought combined with record-low rainfall as primary contributing factors, leaving the province facing its most severe water stress in six decades.

According to the World Resources Institute, Iran ranks as the 14th-highest country globally for baseline water stress, with commentators increasingly discussing a potential “day zero” when water supplies could be completely exhausted.

The Latyan Dam, located near Tehran, has seen its capacity shrink dramatically from 95 million cubic meters to just 9 million. Over the past 20 years, groundwater levels in Tehran have fallen by 12 meters, contributing to land subsidence and threatening urban infrastructure stability. Major infrastructure issues have led to preventable water loss, with estimates of up to 25% of Tehran’s water lost through facility mismanagement.

“We know that Iran’s water storage is quickly diminishing because of mismanagement, because of corruption, because the regime has not invested in water management. Instead, they are investing the money in Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.,” Ghasseminejad explained.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also offered Israeli assistance with Iran’s water crisis once its people overthrow the current regime.

“The thirst for water in Iran is only matched by the thirst for freedom,” the premier said in a video address to the Iranian people published on August 13. “Israel’s top water experts will flood into every Iranian city bringing cutting-edge technology and know-how. We will help Iran recycle water, we’ll help Iran desalinate water.”

The current delegation visiting Israel, as the regime’s future continues to remain uncertain, offers the opposition to the Islamic Republic a different vision for regional transformation. Gamliel emphasized the potential for both nations to benefit from partnership.

“We have a vision of how these strong empires, Iran and Israel, can share together everything and it’s become a win-win for both our peoples,” she told the Post.

However, both Israeli and Iranian opposition leaders acknowledge that change must originate from within Iran itself.

“We really believe in our future relations, but change has to come from the inside, and [Iranians] need to do the first step. And then everybody will support them,” Gamliel concluded.

“We are working right now with Israeli experts, we hope to learn from them, and once we prepare the solution and once the regime is gone, we really hope that we can bring Israeli experts and Israeli companies to help us to manage the problems that we have,” Ghasseminejad said.