U.S. declares war on icon of justice and sacrifice in Iran

For a large part of the Iranian society, except for the post-Rafsanjani upper class, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)'s image is associated with pure patriotic and Shiite ideals about justice and sacrifice.

They are seen by the majority of Iranians as solely responsible for not having lost land during the war with Iraq.

It's no accident that the the birthday of Imam Hossein, the central icon of the Islamic Republic's ideology, was chosen as the official day to celebrate the Sepah.

After Ahmadinejad's win, Rafsanjanists started a big anti-Sepah campaign to paint it as a corrupt and brutal shadow government. Ironically, they were the same people who were cheering for the same Sepah after Khatami's victory, painting it as a diverse, honest, patriotic and moderate entity.

If the US wanted to further strengthen its image among the common Iranians as a force against the core values of justice, patriotism and sacrifice, nothing could be more effective than calling Sepah a terrorist group.

By this, the US has officially declared war against tens of millions of Iranians who are still living under the shadow of their loved ones who saved them and their country and whose names are seen in every corner of the country, on its schools, streets and stadiums.