IRGC letter to American voters is desperate smokescreen, US says

The US State Department has dismissed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ open letter to American voters as a "smokescreen" aimed at hiding the impact of military action against Tehran. The State Department spokesman stated that the IRGC's attempt to mislead the American public does not alter the harsh realities surrounding Iran's history of aggression, both domestically and internationally.

He accused Iran of prioritizing "terror over prosperity," noting that ordinary Iranians bear the consequences of these actions, and that US operations have severely damaged Iran's defense industry, navy, and air force while leaving its missiles "shattered." On Tuesday, the IRGC released a 26-page open letter to the American public, urging them to reject President Donald Trump's policies before the November midterm elections.

The letter criticized Trump for concealing the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, which Israel perceives as an existential threat, and highlighted the effectiveness of Tehran's blockade on Gulf oil. The IRGC spokesman acknowledged that the letter would likely not influence the US administration's actions in the coming weeks but may sway some voters.

The letter also portrayed the conflict as a devastating defeat for Washington, claiming that Iran had achieved a decisive victory. The US Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $15 million for information that disrupts the financial network of the IRGC's Aerospace Force, which Washington claims enables IRGC operations, weapons development, and procurement.

The program seeks tips from the public related to senior IRGC figures, including Brig Gen Abdollah Mehrabi, who is accused of being linked to a company producing engines for Iran's Shahed drones, including those launched against the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.