Former U.S. Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison told Newsmax the IRGC cares chiefly about "power and the money" it can acquire and shows little concern for ordinary Iranians amid the nearly seven-month conflict. She said the U.S. — and other nations — should press Tehran to prevent nuclear proliferation and increase pressure on the regime. Hutchison's comments followed an IRGC warning that additional U.S. attacks could broaden the war, and she warned that further escalation could isolate Iran internationally. She also addressed President Trump's meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Kay Bailey Hutchison: IRGC Prioritizes Power and Profit, Warns of Wider Conflict
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Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison told Newsmax that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is motivated primarily by "the power and the money that they are making," and that nations should recognize the group's priorities amid the nearly seven-month conflict.
Appearing on the Newsmax program Wake Up America with co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter, Hutchison argued that the IRGC— which she described as effectively running Iran—shows little regard for ordinary Iranians as fighting continues.
"They are terrorists. They don't care about the people. They only care about the power and the money that they are making. And I think that the rest of the world needs to see that that is the case," Hutchison said.
Hutchison's remarks came ahead of President Donald Trump's address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where the Iran conflict is expected to feature prominently. She said she expects the president to emphasize that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and urged other countries to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran.
Their comments followed a new IRGC warning that another U.S. attack could broaden the fighting. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Iranian media, that "if a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war," and claimed Iran still has weapons and potential targets it has not used.
Hutchison warned that further escalation could isolate Iran internationally. "They could do something else that would be irrational, but I think they're putting themselves in a smaller, smaller hole," she said, arguing that Tehran has already widened the conflict.
Hutchison also addressed President Trump's scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Russia-Ukraine war stretches beyond four years. She reiterated that the conflict must end, praised Ukrainians for defending their country, and noted recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure—including damage to refineries in regions such as Samara—that Moscow attributes to Kyiv.
Key facts:
- Hutchison accused the IRGC of prioritizing power and profit over civilian welfare.
- She expects the U.S. to press at the U.N. for preventing Iranian nuclear acquisition and for increased international pressure on Tehran.
- The IRGC warned that further U.S. attacks could change the "weaponry and the geography" of the conflict, according to spokesman Hossein Mohebbi.
- Hutchison warned further escalation risks isolating Iran and described its actions as widening the conflict.
- She also commented on Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy and recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
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