The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has taken an unusual step — publishing an extensive open letter addressed directly to the American public. In it, the residents of the United States are urged to oppose President Donald Trump's policies and reconsider Washington's attitude towards Iran. The appeal emerged about five weeks before the midterm elections in the U.S. According to Reuters, this concerns a 25-page open letter to the "American people," published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on September 29. The authors of the appeal call on Americans to oppose support for Israel and U.S. involvement in foreign wars. At the same time, the IRGC claims that Iran and the United States could move towards "peaceful coexistence" if American foreign policy changes. ### "If Americans Knew More, They Would Make Different Decisions" Presenting the letter to journalists in Tehran, IRGC representative Hossein Mohebbi directly linked the appeal to the sentiments of American voters. According to him, the IRGC leadership does not expect the letter to compel the current American administration to change course. However, there is hope in Tehran that it will be heard by the American people themselves. "The American people do not know about many events. We believe that if people knew more, they would think differently and make different decisions," Mohebbi stated. Reuters notes that the statement was made about five weeks before the midterm elections in the U.S. ### IRGC Attacked Trump Personally A significant portion of the appeal is dedicated directly to the U.S. president. The IRGC accuses Donald Trump of misleading the American public regarding the goals of Iran's nuclear program and the situation around the Strait of Hormuz. Mohebbi stated that the U.S. allegedly knows that Iran does not seek to obtain nuclear weapons and questioned the credibility of Washington's statements regarding the situation with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Particularly sharp were the personal attacks directed at the American president: the IRGC representative called Trump a person who cannot be trusted and accused him of greed and systematic lying. ### "Change the Government" In some formulations, the appeal goes even further. As reported by Al Jazeera, the IRGC told Americans that they should "wake up" and take back control of the country from politicians whom the Iranian side calls corrupt. The appeal also speaks of the need to change the current political course of the U.S. Thus, the letter is difficult to view solely as a foreign policy statement from Tehran. It is addressed directly to the American public during an election campaign and effectively suggests that U.S. citizens use domestic political mechanisms to change Washington's course. ### IRGC Encourages Americans to Study Its History Another unusual part of the letter concerns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps itself. A representative of the organization urged Americans to independently study the history of the IRGC and decide whether it is fair for the U.S. to consider it a terrorist organization. According to Mohebbi, the letter discusses the activities of the IRGC within Iran — construction projects, assistance to impoverished areas, healthcare, and other social programs. At the same time, the American side has considered the IRGC a terrorist organization since 2019. ### Why This Appeal is Unusual Military and security structures of states regularly make statements addressed to foreign governments. However, a direct appeal from one of Iran's most influential military structures to the U.S. population just before elections is a much less common format. Moreover, the IRGC did not limit itself to explaining Tehran's position. Americans are effectively offered to influence their own leadership, abandon support for the current policy towards Iran, and change the country's foreign policy course. Against the backdrop of ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran, the 25-page letter appears simultaneously as a political message, an information campaign, and an attempt to directly address the American voter, bypassing the White House.
