Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is urging Americans to reject President Donald Trump and Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, in what critics are calling a backdoor endorsement of the president and a sign that the administration’s pressure campaign on Tehran is working.
The 26-page “Open Letter to the Honorable People of the United States of America,” released Tuesday, called on Americans to vote for Democrats and to give up the fight against the Iranian regime. The English version of the letter claims Iran has achieved “remarkable strategic wins.” It is unclear what any Persian or Arabic versions of the letter say.
“Although American politicians often win your votes through deception and false promises, as Trump did, you can change the makeup of the government,” the letter stated. “Remove from power the evil, deceitful, and violent politicians who are responsible for America’s current state.”
“Make sure your politicians understand that the world has changed,” the letter added, according to India’s Deccan Herald.
Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar at George Washington School of Law and a Fox News analyst, weighed in on the regime’s shift in messaging.
“It’s not a good sign when the IRGC shifts from ‘Death to America’ to ‘Vote Democratic,'” Turley wrote.
The letter claims to set the record straight on key questions surrounding Iran and the premises of the war.
“Why do Iranians chant, ‘Death to America’? Are they hostile to the American people? The U.S. government claims that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is a terrorist organization. Is this true?” the letter asked.
It went on to argue that “it should be fairly obvious that the phrase ‘Death to America,’ which Iranians have been chanting since the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, does not in any way express any ill will toward the American people.”
According to Al Arabiya, the letter accused Trump of concealing the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel in particular views as an existential threat, as well as the effectiveness of Tehran’s blockade of Gulf oil.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi claimed Americans simply don’t have the full picture.
“The American people are not knowledgeable about many developments. We believe if they knew more, they would think differently and take other decisions,” Mohebbi said, adding, “The enemy [U.S.] knows that Iran is not after nuclear weapons.”
The regime’s appeal to American voters comes as Iran has taken heavy losses. Its missiles, most of its nuclear plants, its army, navy and air assets, a swath of drone factories and many IRGC leaders now lie under rubble or at the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz.
The regime is not entirely defeated, but it continues to face pressure from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, leaving words among the few weapons Tehran appears to have left.
Meanwhile, oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz at nearly pre-war levels, and Saudi Arabia has resumed oil shipments through the Red Sea following attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
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