'Good will triumph over evil': Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu wishes Iranian people on Nowruz

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

• Netanyahu debunks death rumors, confirms he is alive and active.
• He wished Iranians a happy Nowruz, emphasizing hope and light.
• Netanyahu remains in office despite tensions, officials confirm.

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Even as rumours surrounding the alleged death of Benjamin Netanyahu have spread rapidly across social media in recent weeks amid the heightened tensions in the Middle East, the Israeli Prime Minister put out a post wishing Iranian people on Nowruz.

"To the brave people of Iran, I wish you as I do everywhere, a happy holiday season beginning with the festival of lights. It signifies the age-old belief of the Iranian people that light will triumph over darkness, that good will triumph over evil," said Netanyahu in his address to Iranian people.

VIDEO | Tel Aviv: Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu wishes Iranian people on the occasion of Nowruz. "To the brave people of Iran, I wish you as I do everywhere, a happy holiday season beginning with the festival of lights. It signifies the age-old belief of the Iranian people that… pic.twitter.com/h4aAJFc8ZH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 17, 2026

Nowruz marks the Parsi New Year and the beginning of the Iranian calender. It marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated by millions across countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia and the Middle East.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister shared a 90-second clip showing him interacting with bystanders in the Jerusalem Hills and urging them to have patience as the war with Iran continues.

Netanyahu had earlier posted a short video on Sunda,  addressing the rumours circulating on social media that he was dead. "I'm dead for coffee," he had said sarcastically on his official X account while receiving a cup at a cafe outside Jerusalem, using a colloquial Hebrew phrase that means loving something to death.

The Israeli Prime Minister also urged citizens to follow safety instructions in the event of incoming rockets. "We are doing things that I cannot share at this moment, but we are striking Iran very hard, and also Lebanon," he added.

On Sunday, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to kill Netanyahu, several posts falsely claimed that the Israeli Prime Minister had been killed in a strike linked to the ongoing Iran–Israel conflict, while others suggested he had been replaced by AI-generated appearances.

However, official sources, including statements from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office,  confirmed that Netanyahu is alive and continuing to carry out his duties.