Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has waded into the U.S. midterm campaign, urging American voters to cast their ballots against President Trump and his allies. In a 25-page open letter released Tuesday, the IRGC's spokesperson, Gen. Hossein Mohebbi, framed the election as a referendum on Washington's confrontation with Tehran and called for a new direction in U.S. policy.
The letter, which marks seven months since the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the U.S.-Israel alliance in late February, directly appeals to American voters. "You are the ones who empower, with your votes, the government and allow it to do what it does," the letter reads, as obtained by The Times of Israel. "Although American politicians often win your votes through deception and false promises, as Trump did, you can change the makeup of the government if you apply the criteria for good leadership in choosing the people you vote into office."
Mohebbi did not stop at the written appeal. In remarks to The Associated Press, he called on Americans to take to the streets in protest against the Trump administration, denouncing its "warmongering" policies. He accused Washington of trying to turn Iran "back into a colony" by focusing on its nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes.
The IRGC letter also sought to sway public opinion by asserting that the U.S. and Israel are losing the war. While acknowledging the United States as "a great nation," Mohebbi warned that "to allow vulgar and immoral individuals to continue steering your politics and policies will only further humiliate and undermine the U.S." He added, "Any politician who thinks they can buy your vote for $5,000 is unworthy to lead you. Take back control."
The intervention comes as Tehran awaits a formal U.S. response to its seven-day peace proposal, which President Trump rejected on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the latest U.S. reply to President Masoud Pezeshkian during a Cabinet meeting, according to government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, who posted on X. Pezeshkian vowed to "make every effort to bring the agreement to fruition" while insisting that any deal "must now be based on a win-win strategy."
The Iran conflict has become a central issue in the midterm elections, with Democratic candidates hammering the administration for dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war. Republicans, meanwhile, are calling for a swift end to the fighting to ease soaring gasoline prices, which have spiked following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Administration officials, including Trump, initially predicted the conflict would last only days or weeks after the first strikes on Feb. 28. But as the war drags on, voter anxiety over high fuel costs and the conflict's unpopularity has grown. Trump dismissed such concerns in April, saying he did not consider Americans' financial hardships when deciding on Iran policy. At a rally in North Carolina for Republican Senate hopeful Michael Whatley earlier this month, Trump described rising gas prices as "a very inexpensive price to pay" in the confrontation with Tehran, adding that prices would soon "come tumbling down" and drop "like rocket ships in reverse."
Despite those assurances, the national average for a gallon of gas dipped only slightly on Wednesday, to $4.43, after hovering near $4.50 earlier in the week, according to AAA. The economic pinch is likely to remain a potent issue as voters head to the polls, with the IRGC's letter adding an unprecedented foreign twist to the domestic political battle.
While foreign interference in U.S. elections is not new, the IRGC's direct appeal to American voters is a notable escalation. It underscores Tehran's interest in seeing a change in Washington's approach, even as the regime continues to face international pressure over its nuclear ambitions. The coming weeks will test whether such calls resonate with an electorate already weary of conflict and economic strain.
