Iran’s Guards pen open letter to US midterm voters, urging them to reject ‘liar’ Trump

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose power and influence have expanded since the US and Israel began to wage war against Iran, appealed Tuesday to American midterm voters to reject US President Donald Trump’s policies and accept an offer of “peaceful coexistence.”

The assertions were made on Tuesday in a 25-page open letter addressed to the American people, urging them to oppose US support for Israel and foreign wars and arguing that Iran and the US could coexist if American policy changed.

The letter accused Trump of concealing the “peaceful nature” of Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel sees as an existential threat, as well as the effectiveness of Tehran’s blockade of Gulf oil.

0:00 / 0:00

Promoted: Theatron Hotel and Residences

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi told reporters he did not expect the letter to affect the US administration’s behavior some five weeks before the elections, but that voters might hear the message.

“The American people are not knowledgeable about many developments. We believe if they knew more, they would think differently and take other decisions,” he said.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

Among his reasons for waging war on Iran, Trump, whose approval rating has plummeted in opinion polls, has cited the need to ensure that it will never be able to build a nuclear weapon. Last week, he told the UN General Assembly he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if he chose.

“The enemy (US) knows that Iran is not after nuclear weapons,” Mohebbi said.

“America’s national security and the lives of its service members are entrusted to someone who is not only an inveterate liar but is also an insanely avaricious man whose only motivation in life is the accumulation of greater wealth,” he said of Trump.

Mohebbi also challenged US assertions that Iran has lost most of its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, in part because the US military has been able to protect some of the tankers bringing oil out of the Gulf.

“The fact that the Americans might manage, at great expense, considerable trouble and high risk to sneak a small vessel through the Strait of Hormuz under cover of darkness to export, say, 100 or 200 barrels of oil does not mean the Strait is open,” Mohebbi said.

According to Kpler data, September has seen a recovery of oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz, which are set to hit almost 10 million barrels per day, about half the prewar volume.

Later, in remarks to The Associated Press, Mohebbi urged Americans to take to the streets and protest Trump’s policies to denounce what he called the US government’s warmongering.

Mohebbi also said Americans should “revise their decision” about their leaders.

He accused the United States of using Iran’s nuclear program as a ruse to “plunder Iran’s wealth” and to turn the country “back into a colony.” The US military action and economic sanctions would not get Tehran to submit, he said.

Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was among the key declared goals of the war, which the US and Israel launched together on February 28.

Trump on Monday denied a report that he is prepared to offer Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions by the Islamic Republic.

Help us report truthfully on social media

As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.

This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 

If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.

— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist

Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this