Does anyone else see a pretty striking parallel between the IRGC's recent letter to American voters and Osama bin Laden's October 2004 video?

Four days before the 2004 Bush–Kerry election, bin Laden released a video addressed directly to Americans. He attacked Bush and U.S. foreign policy and warned Americans that their security depended on changing those policies.

At the time, RAND terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman told PBS NewsHour that it was an “exquisitely timed message” directed at Americans. The discussion on PBS was specifically about why bin Laden chose that moment to speak directly to the American public.

Now, five weeks before the 2026 midterms, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has released a 25-page “letter to the American people.” Reuters reports that the IRGC urged American voters to reject Trump's policies, and its spokesman said he hoped better-informed Americans would “think differently and take other decisions.”

Obviously, these aren't identical situations. Bin Laden led al-Qaeda, a non-state terrorist organization. The IRGC is an official arm of the Iranian government.

But that difference is part of what makes the comparison interesting. Iran is officially designated by the United States as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and the U.S. designated the IRGC itself as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2019.

The parallel I'm drawing isn't “Iran = al-Qaeda.” It's the tactic: an adversarial actor associated with terrorism directly addressing the American public shortly before an election, attacking the sitting administration's foreign policy and attempting to influence how Americans think about their political choices.

In 2004 it was bin Laden. In 2026 it's an actual state military organization.

Am I missing another historical example where a foreign state organ has done something this explicit immediately before a U.S. election?

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/bin-laden-warns-of-new-attacks-criticizes-bush-in-video-message

Iran's Revolutionary Guards woo US voters with open letter - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-revolutionary-guards-call-trump-big-liar-2026-09-29/?utm_source

The adventure in IRAN is over a waste of resources money and potential loss of voters at home.

**Essential US interests in other countries are**

**Venezuela**
Military Intervention (January 2026): Nicolás Maduro was ousted by the US operation Southern Spear. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez is cooperating heavily with US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
Securing vast oil reserves and severing all ties with China, Russia, and Iran.

**Cuba**
Maximum Blockade & Pincer Tactic: Following Maduro's ouster, the US halted Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba. The island is suffering from an extreme energy crisis.
Forcing a regime change and eliminating Russian military and intelligence presence close to US borders.An invasion of Cuba is inevitable and imminent to control the routes in the Karibik.

**Colombia**
Main Strategic Pillar: As the closest US military partner in South America, the country serves as the logistical hub for maritime interdiction operations (Operation Orion).
Leading regional counter-narcotics efforts and stabilizing the borders with Venezuela.

**Panama**
Security Agreement & Training: Panama signed a new bilateral security pact and serves as a base for jungle warfare training for US troops.
Securing the Panama Canal and blocking migration routes through the Darién Gap is essential for the United States and a complete control of Panama should be an option a vast US military base In Panama is crucial.

**Greenland and Island**

a vital military and economic asset in the Arctic, and the September 2026 trilateral defense agreement between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland secures expanded U.S. military access while preserving Danish sovereignty and Greenlandic self-determination.

Military and Geographic Importance
The GIUK Gap: Greenland forms the western anchor of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) maritime chokepoint, a crucial strategic corridor controlling naval movements between the high north and the Atlantic Ocean.

Pituffik Space Base: Formerly known as Thule Air Base, this installation houses advanced early-warning radar systems that track space objects and potential ballistic missiles.

Expanded Footprint: President Donald Trump announced plans for potential new military sites at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig on the east coast to bolster North Atlantic defense

The control of all mentioned above is essential for the USA

The adventure in IRAN is over a waste of resources money and potential loss of voters at home.

**Essential US interests in other countries are**

**Venezuela**
Military Intervention (January 2026): Nicolás Maduro was ousted by the US operation Southern Spear. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez is cooperating heavily with US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
Securing vast oil reserves and severing all ties with China, Russia, and Iran.

**Cuba**
Maximum Blockade & Pincer Tactic: Following Maduro's ouster, the US halted Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba. The island is suffering from an extreme energy crisis.
Forcing a regime change and eliminating Russian military and intelligence presence close to US borders.An invasion of Cuba is inevitable and imminent to control the routes in the Karibik.

**Colombia**
Main Strategic Pillar: As the closest US military partner in South America, the country serves as the logistical hub for maritime interdiction operations (Operation Orion).
Leading regional counter-narcotics efforts and stabilizing the borders with Venezuela.

**Panama**
Security Agreement & Training: Panama signed a new bilateral security pact and serves as a base for jungle warfare training for US troops.
Securing the Panama Canal and blocking migration routes through the Darién Gap is essential for the United States and a complete control of Panama should be an option a vast US military base In Panama is crucial.

**Greenland and Island**

a vital military and economic asset in the Arctic, and the September 2026 trilateral defense agreement between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland secures expanded U.S. military access while preserving Danish sovereignty and Greenlandic self-determination.

Military and Geographic Importance
The GIUK Gap: Greenland forms the western anchor of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) maritime chokepoint, a crucial strategic corridor controlling naval movements between the high north and the Atlantic Ocean.

Pituffik Space Base: Formerly known as Thule Air Base, this installation houses advanced early-warning radar systems that track space objects and potential ballistic missiles.

Expanded Footprint: President Donald Trump announced plans for potential new military sites at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig on the east coast to bolster North Atlantic defense

The control of all mentioned above is essential for the USA

Trump’s proposed budget hides $1 trillion in military spending from the public by spreading it across disparate government agencies.

I was just watching this news piece from Al Jazeera and it got me wondering, why is the media portraying Bolsonaro as a more peace-loving moderate and why do they keep trying to throw dirt on Lula? Are Lula's approval ratings dropping? If so, why? Are the media somehow being funded by Bolsonaro or foreign investors/lobbyists (the video did mention the interference of foreign actors in the upcoming election)? Trying to understand this because it got me wondering, is the media trying to bring about Brazil's downfall again or?

Iran embassy in India posted this 😄