Iran's water crisis, which has evolved into a multifaceted "super-crisis," is profoundly influenced by governmental discourses, bearing extensive consequences for the nation's security and stability. This research aims to comparatively analyze the discourses of the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–2013) and Hassan Rouhani (2013–2021) administrations in addressing this crisis, seeking to identify their differences and impacts on securitization and water governance. A key innovation of this study is the introduction of "societal security" and post-Copenhagen perspectives into the analytical framework, drawing a crucial distinction between state security (preserving sovereignty and resource control) and societal security (protecting the identity, livelihood, and health of local communities). The methodology is qualitative, based on Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis, complemented by theoretical frameworks of securitization and network governance, and involves the content analysis of 55 official and non-official documents. Findings indicate that the Ahmadinejad administration's discourse, framed within a "security-defensive" context with an emphasis on "hardware-oriented development," prioritized state security over societal security. Conversely, the Rouhani administration's "technocratic" and "participatory" discourse attempted to address societal security, but in practice, this was not fully realized due to the prevalence of centralized structures. This study argues that despite discursive shifts, the persistence of deep-rooted political and economic structures has hindered the formation of effective network governance and the safeguarding of societal security, thereby fueling ongoing social tensions.