Top Iranian general blames Israel for crippling drought, accuses nation of 'cloud and snow theft

As Iran faces yet another crippling drought, one top Iranian military general believes he knows the culprit behind the water shortage: Israel, of course.

What did the general say?

On Monday, Brig. Gen. Gholam Reza Jalali, head of Iran’s Civil Defense Organization, accused Israel of colluding with another unnamed country in the Middle East of wringing all clouds of rain water before they enter Iranian airspace.

The general even went as so far as to call it cloud "theft."

"The changing climate in Iran is suspect," Jalali said, according to the Times of Israel. "Foreign interference is suspected to have played a role in climate change."

"Israel and another country in the region have joint teams which work to ensure clouds entering Iranian skies are unable to release rain," the general claimed. "On top of that, we are facing the issue of cloud and snow theft."

Jalali furthered his claims by alleging a scientific study had confirmed the allegations. According to Jalali, all mountainous terrain between Afghanistan and the Mediterranean Sea above about 7,200 is covered in snow — except in Iran.

What did scientists say?

Unfortunately for Jalali, his climate-hacking theory is impossible, scientists from Iran's own meteorological service said.

Ahad Vazife, head of Iran's weather service, acknowledged Jalali probably had government documents he was unaware of, but explained "it is not possible for a country to steal snow or clouds.

"Iran has suffered a prolonged drought, and this is a global trend that does not apply only to Iran," Vazife said, according to the Daily Mail. "Raising such questions not only does not solve any of our problems, but will deter us from finding the right solutions."

Is this the first time the claim has been made?

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed in 2011 that Western countries, Europe specifically, colluded to "cause drought in certain areas of the world, including Iran."