Iran's IRGC Appeals to American Public to Distance Country from Israel

In an open letter, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps urges U.S. citizens to pressure their government to end support for Israel, framing it as the path to American-Iranian peace.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) published an open letter on September 29 addressing the American people, urging them to distance themselves from what it calls Israel's occupation of Palestine. The letter, attributed to IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi and directed at American scholars, students, and media figures, calls on U.S. citizens to "force your government to distance itself from Israel" and promises that "Americans can live peacefully with Iran if they separate themselves from the Israeli regime." The IRGC asserts that Israel's occupation will eventually end, with occupiers forced to "leave the land they occupy and return to their countries of origin." The letter comes roughly seven months into the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict that began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure and leadership. The IRGC claims the war has killed more than 3,600 Iranians, "the vast majority civilians, including 400 children," and that "eight universities, three hospitals, and eight schools have been bombed." The letter further asserts that the U.S. and Israeli military campaigns failed to achieve their stated objectives, citing the destruction of various infrastructure but no decisive military gains. Beyond distancing from Israel, the letter makes a broader appeal for political change within the United States. It urges the American people to "force your government" and "stop their government," echoing language similar to Trump's early calls for Iranians to overthrow their regime. The IRGC frames the conflict as a battle between ordinary Americans and their own "elite actors," claiming Iranians and Americans are "wronged by the same cohort." IRGC spokesman Mohebbi emphasized the letter was a strategic communication tool chosen deliberately, stating, "This is not a short-term or purely promotional move," but rather a method based on "realities on the ground." The letter also addresses Iran's revolutionary rhetoric, redefining the phrase "Death to America," which Iranians have chanted since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, as directed against American hegemony and elite power rather than the American people themselves.

How could this affect you

Traced by who's actually in the path of this — not everyone is.

Likely

U.S. elected officials and Trump administration policymakers

The letter is an attempt to mobilize American public opinion against U.S. support for Israel during election season, potentially constraining executive options if domestic opposition to the Iran war increases.

Likely

American progressives and anti-war activists

The letter provides rhetorical ammunition for those opposing U.S. military commitments in the Middle East and Israel support, potentially amplifying existing domestic political divisions around the conflict.

Possible

U.S.-Iran relations and ceasefire negotiations

By framing peace as conditional on U.S. policy change rather than mutual concessions, the letter could complicate ongoing ceasefire efforts and negotiations over core disputes including Iran's nuclear program and regional influence.

Off-Lens

Who is covering this — and who is not.

4 articles · 3 countries · via GDELT

🇮🇷Iran

50%

🇶🇦Qatar

25%

🌐Sri Lanka

25%

🇮🇷wanaen.com 🇶🇦aljazeera.com 🌐slguardian.org 🇮🇷tasnimnews.ir

Perspectives not in sources

🇺🇸 United States🇮🇱 Israel

Chanakya's Move

Whose move this was, what they're betting on, what could counter it.

This is a strategic communication offensive by the IRGC, not an immediate military move. Iran's calculation appears to be that after seven months of war and a ceasefire arrangement (reportedly agreed in June), it can exploit domestic American opposition to the conflict to shift the political cost of continued confrontation onto the Trump administration. The timing is significant: published just weeks before U.S. elections, the letter targets American voters directly, attempting to reframe the conflict narrative from Iranian aggression to American-Israeli occupation. The IRGC is betting that appealing to American self-interest (framing Iran as no threat if the U.S. leaves Israel's side) and American values (positioning itself as an opponent of elite power) can decouple the U.S. from Israel. This is a long-term influence operation: Mohebbi himself acknowledged it is "not short-term." The counter to this move is straightforward—for the Trump administration, it is to maintain strategic alignment with Israel and not allow domestic pressure to shift policy. For negotiators, the harder task is separating propaganda from genuine negotiating positions on nuclear inspections, sanctions, and the Strait of Hormuz.