Attacking Iran’s vital
infrastructure directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a
war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond
Iran’s borders.
By Fareed Khan
A version of this can be found on Substack.
BREAKING FROM IRAN: In a calculated diplomatic maneuver released just
hours before President Donald Trump’s televised address to the American
people, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an open letter
directly to US citizens. The timing appears deliberate: an effort to get
ahead of what Tehran anticipates will be a speech filled with
justifications, distortions, and rationalizations for the ongoing US-led
war against Iran.
Framing
the conflict as one rooted in long-standing American aggression rather
than any inherent Iranian threat, Pezeshkian urges Americans to look
beyond what he describes as a “flood of distortions and manufactured
narratives” emanating from Washington. He portrays the impending Trump
address as likely to recycle familiar anti-Iranian talking
points—depicting Iran as an existential danger, an aggressor, or a
destabilizing force—while downplaying or ignoring the broader context of
US interventions in the region that has made them and Israel the most
destabilizing actors in the Middle East.
In the letter, Pezeshkian firmly denies that Iran poses any threat to the American people or harbours enmity toward them. He points out that Iran has never initiated aggression or sought expansion since the US achieved independence, positioning its actions instead as measured responses grounded in legitimate self-defence against foreign attacks. Portraying Iran as a menace, he argues, is inconsistent with both historical reality and observable facts, and stems more from America’s geopolitical and economic agenda rather than from genuine security concerns.
A central warning in the letter focuses on the human and global costs of US strikes. Pezeshkian highlights that any US or Israeli attacks on Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—would be actions that directly target ordinary Iranian civilians. “Beyond constituting a war crime,” he states, “such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders.” He questions whose interests are truly being served by prolonging the war, asking pointedly whether Trump’s “America First” agenda is genuinely guiding US policy or if other influences are at play, in a veiled reference to Israel.
By appealing straight to the American public over the heads of their government, Pezeshkian seeks to sow doubt about official US justifications, evoke shared humanity between the two peoples, and preempt any narrative that casts Iran solely as the villain. The letter blends defiance with a call for reflection, suggesting the path of confrontation is costlier and more futile than diplomacy, while reminding Americans of past US actions in Iran, such as the 1953 coup which overthrew a democratically elected government, installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as its absolute ruler, and sowed the seeds of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and decades of anti-American hostility by Iranians.
As Trump prepares to outline his administration’s stance on the conflict—potentially defending escalation, outlining military objectives, or framing the campaign as necessary for regional stability and American security—Pezeshkian’s message stands as a direct counter-narrative. It aims to frame the US as the escalator and aggressor, urging US citizens to scrutinize the rationales they are about to hear and consider the wider repercussions before further support solidifies behind continued hostilities.
In the letter, Pezeshkian firmly denies that Iran poses any threat to the American people or harbours enmity toward them. He points out that Iran has never initiated aggression or sought expansion since the US achieved independence, positioning its actions instead as measured responses grounded in legitimate self-defence against foreign attacks. Portraying Iran as a menace, he argues, is inconsistent with both historical reality and observable facts, and stems more from America’s geopolitical and economic agenda rather than from genuine security concerns.
A central warning in the letter focuses on the human and global costs of US strikes. Pezeshkian highlights that any US or Israeli attacks on Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—would be actions that directly target ordinary Iranian civilians. “Beyond constituting a war crime,” he states, “such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders.” He questions whose interests are truly being served by prolonging the war, asking pointedly whether Trump’s “America First” agenda is genuinely guiding US policy or if other influences are at play, in a veiled reference to Israel.
By appealing straight to the American public over the heads of their government, Pezeshkian seeks to sow doubt about official US justifications, evoke shared humanity between the two peoples, and preempt any narrative that casts Iran solely as the villain. The letter blends defiance with a call for reflection, suggesting the path of confrontation is costlier and more futile than diplomacy, while reminding Americans of past US actions in Iran, such as the 1953 coup which overthrew a democratically elected government, installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as its absolute ruler, and sowed the seeds of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and decades of anti-American hostility by Iranians.
As Trump prepares to outline his administration’s stance on the conflict—potentially defending escalation, outlining military objectives, or framing the campaign as necessary for regional stability and American security—Pezeshkian’s message stands as a direct counter-narrative. It aims to frame the US as the escalator and aggressor, urging US citizens to scrutinize the rationales they are about to hear and consider the wider repercussions before further support solidifies behind continued hostilities.
FULL LETTER:
“To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life:
Iran—by this very name, character, and identity—is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.
The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries. Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern. This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness—not a temporary political stance.
For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts. Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful—the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.
Within this same framework, the United States has concentrated the largest number of its forces, bases, and military capabilities around Iran—a country that, at least since the founding of the United States, has never initiated a war.
Recent American aggressions launched from these very bases have demonstrated how threatening such a military presence truly is. Naturally, no country confronted with such conditions would forgo strengthening its defensive capabilities. What Iran has done—and continues to do—is a measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense, and by no means an initiation of war or aggression.
Relations between Iran and the United States were not originally hostile, and early interactions between the Iranian and American people were not marred with hostility or tension. The turning point, however, was the 1953 coup d’état—an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalization of Iran’s own resources. That coup disrupted Iran’s democratic process, reinstated dictatorship, and sowed deep distrust among Iranians toward U.S. policies.
This distrust deepened further with America’s support for the Shah’s regime, its backing of Saddam Hussein during the imposed war of the 1980s, the imposition of the longest and most comprehensive sanctions in modern history, and ultimately, unprovoked military aggression—twice, in the midst of negotiations—against Iran.
Yet all these pressures have failed to weaken Iran. On the contrary, the country has grown stronger in many areas: literacy rates have tripled—from roughly 30% before the Islamic Revolution to over 90% today; higher education has expanded dramatically; significant advances have been achieved in modern technology; healthcare services have improved; and infrastructure has developed at a pace and scale incomparable to the past. These are measurable, observable realities that stand independent of fabricated narratives.
At the same time, the destructive and inhumane impact of sanctions, war, and aggression on the lives of the resilient Iranian people must not be underestimated. The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives. This reflects a fundamental human truth: when war inflicts irreparable harm on lives, homes, cities, and futures, people will not remain indifferent toward those responsible.
This raises a fundamental question: Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behaviour? Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country “back to the stone ages” serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?
Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments. The decision to withdraw from that agreement, escalate toward confrontation, and launch two acts of aggression in the midst of negotiations were destructive choices made by the U.S. government—choices that served the delusions of a foreign aggressor.
Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. They generate instability, increase human and economic costs, and perpetuate cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years. This is not a demonstration of strength; it is a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution.
Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? Is it not true that Israel, by manufacturing an Iranian threat, seeks to divert global attention away from its crimes toward the Palestinians? Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar—shifting the burden of its delusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States itself in pursuit of illegitimate interests?
Is “America First” truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today?
I invite you to look beyond the machinery of misinformation—an integral part of this aggression—and instead speak with those who have visited Iran. Observe the many accomplished Iranian immigrants—educated in Iran—who now teach and conduct research at the world’s most prestigious universities, or contribute to the most advanced technology firms in the West. Do these realities align with the distortions you are being told about Iran and its people?
Today, the world stands at a crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come. Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures—resilient, dignified, and proud.”
© 2026 The View From Here. © 2025 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
“To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life:
Iran—by this very name, character, and identity—is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.
The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries. Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern. This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness—not a temporary political stance.
For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts. Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful—the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.
Within this same framework, the United States has concentrated the largest number of its forces, bases, and military capabilities around Iran—a country that, at least since the founding of the United States, has never initiated a war.
Recent American aggressions launched from these very bases have demonstrated how threatening such a military presence truly is. Naturally, no country confronted with such conditions would forgo strengthening its defensive capabilities. What Iran has done—and continues to do—is a measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense, and by no means an initiation of war or aggression.
Relations between Iran and the United States were not originally hostile, and early interactions between the Iranian and American people were not marred with hostility or tension. The turning point, however, was the 1953 coup d’état—an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalization of Iran’s own resources. That coup disrupted Iran’s democratic process, reinstated dictatorship, and sowed deep distrust among Iranians toward U.S. policies.
This distrust deepened further with America’s support for the Shah’s regime, its backing of Saddam Hussein during the imposed war of the 1980s, the imposition of the longest and most comprehensive sanctions in modern history, and ultimately, unprovoked military aggression—twice, in the midst of negotiations—against Iran.
Yet all these pressures have failed to weaken Iran. On the contrary, the country has grown stronger in many areas: literacy rates have tripled—from roughly 30% before the Islamic Revolution to over 90% today; higher education has expanded dramatically; significant advances have been achieved in modern technology; healthcare services have improved; and infrastructure has developed at a pace and scale incomparable to the past. These are measurable, observable realities that stand independent of fabricated narratives.
At the same time, the destructive and inhumane impact of sanctions, war, and aggression on the lives of the resilient Iranian people must not be underestimated. The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives. This reflects a fundamental human truth: when war inflicts irreparable harm on lives, homes, cities, and futures, people will not remain indifferent toward those responsible.
This raises a fundamental question: Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behaviour? Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country “back to the stone ages” serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?
Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments. The decision to withdraw from that agreement, escalate toward confrontation, and launch two acts of aggression in the midst of negotiations were destructive choices made by the U.S. government—choices that served the delusions of a foreign aggressor.
Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. They generate instability, increase human and economic costs, and perpetuate cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years. This is not a demonstration of strength; it is a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution.
Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? Is it not true that Israel, by manufacturing an Iranian threat, seeks to divert global attention away from its crimes toward the Palestinians? Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar—shifting the burden of its delusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States itself in pursuit of illegitimate interests?
Is “America First” truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today?
I invite you to look beyond the machinery of misinformation—an integral part of this aggression—and instead speak with those who have visited Iran. Observe the many accomplished Iranian immigrants—educated in Iran—who now teach and conduct research at the world’s most prestigious universities, or contribute to the most advanced technology firms in the West. Do these realities align with the distortions you are being told about Iran and its people?
Today, the world stands at a crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come. Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures—resilient, dignified, and proud.”
© 2026 The View From Here. © 2025 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
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