Why Aren’t The IRGC Wearing KN95 Masks?

I have exercised extraordinary restraint on the subject of Iran, because the situation is complex and I believe in listening before speaking. But I keep seeing members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps standing shoulder to shoulder at missile launches, outdoors, in 2026, without respirators, and I can no longer stay silent. Nor is this an isolated failure of the IRGC. Hezbollah’s cloth face coverings are not adequate protection, and the less said about social distancing in Al-Qassam’s tunnels, the better. I would like to know who signed off on that floor plan. Ansarallah, for its part, has had ample time to publish a respiratory safety policy. Without proper masking (a KN95 mask or better), every righteous blow dealt against the Great Satan and its Zionist attack dog stands the chance of becoming a mass disabling event.

These people are lions of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. They are striking terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah and exposing AmeriKKKan imperiali$m for the paper tiger it is. Alhamdulillah. I have never qualified my support for the resistance, and I will not start now. But if you are standing next to another person without a well-fitting KN95, you are making a eugenicist choice. I do not care how many aircraft carriers are afraid of you. You are telling disabled people that their lives are disposable, which makes you, sorry, a literal garbage human. We should be able to say this to our comrades.

So let me be absolutely clear: I condemn the IRGC. I condemn Hezbollah, Ansarallah, and Al-Qassam. I condemn the entire Axis of Resistance for making me have this conversation. You cannot call yourself a liberation movement while making me repeat an access request. Ermmm, sweaty, the “axis” you need to be resisting is the one along which your breath is traveling into someone else’s face. If your job involves moving a missile through a crowd, you can move a KN95 over your nose. At a minimum, the person giving the launch countdown should stop projecting droplets onto the person holding the clipboard. I watched one commander pull his face covering down to speak. Bestie, the mask goes over your nose. Yes, even when you have something important to say. I had already put a heart on it. I have removed the heart and reported the video. That is what accountability looks like when the people doing the work are tired.

Community care is operational readiness

People keep telling me the IRGC has bigger things to worry about. I understand what Iran means to the mustad‘afin, the oppressed people of the world. I understand why its soldiers invoke Imam Husayn (AS) and his refusal to submit to Yazid. That is precisely why I find their response to a very ordinary access request so disappointing. “We are defending the country” does not answer “Will there be masks?” I should not have to explain the difference to people with this much political education. Please stop making me be the bad guy for asking. You are not being bombarded with criticism. You are receiving one email from a person who knows better than you. The fact that you keep bringing up the other bombardment is frankly manipulative.

I would like to see a mask mandate at parades, fit testing at launch sites, and a quiet room for anyone experiencing symptoms. Put HEPA filters in the command centers. If a general says he cannot hear orders through a respirator, perhaps the general should undertake the difficult interior work of listening. Several people have explained that there is a lot of background noise. I was referring to listening to disabled voices.

The resistance has sustained entire communities through siege and bombardment. Its logistical achievements are extraordinary. Hezbollah could include KN95s with the bottled water; Ansarallah could designate a masking lead for each march. Al-Qassam should publish ventilation reports for its tunnels, with diagrams, and offer a remote participation option. I have been told that the diagrams are sensitive. Okay, so we are just supposed to trust men with weapons. Cool. Love that for us. The people controlling access to these spaces do not get to decide which access questions are appropriate.

Accessibility is not conditional on the mission

I have been told that war makes these requests impractical. I reject the implication that disabled people must wait until Palestine is free to have access needs. Palestine will be free, insha’Allah, and I intend to be there. I would like to know now whether the celebrations will be accessible to me. If an event cannot accommodate everyone safely, it should not go ahead. That includes a launch. Telling people to stay home while everyone else participates is ableism, even when the people doing it are the bravest fighters on earth.

Some readers ask how Iran is supposed to obtain respirators under sanctions. I oppose the sanctions. I have drafted a mask exemption that would allow deliveries once an independent access team has inspected the facilities. The team would be based in the United States, where we already have people trained to do this work. They would need to visit every site and speak privately with personnel. If the authorities refuse, I think we have to listen to what that refusal tells us. We are offering to help them do better. Getting defensive about it is a choice. A grown-up says thank you when someone offers to inspect their tunnels. Further exemptions would depend on their willingness to engage.

Others ask why I have not written about the unmasked crowd at Halcyon Defense’s summit last month. I went because anti-imperialist voices need to be heard in those rooms. When I raised my concerns, the organizers thanked me and moved my lunch to a separate table. A vice president sat with me for forty minutes. I am still waiting for the IRGC to acknowledge my email. Nobody is asking them to become Halcyon. I am asking why a weapons company has made more space for my needs than a movement I have supported through three separate account suspensions.

I have written to the IRGC, Hezbollah, Ansarallah, and Al-Qassam requesting a public apology, an updated masking policy, and photographs of each policy posted in a break room. Until those demands are met, I will not attend their parades or amplify footage in which I cannot verify the fit of every visible respirator. My solidarity remains unconditional. My condemnation is also unconditional, and currently much more actionable. Our working group will review their responses and determine whether the current leadership is capable of making the necessary changes. The commanders are welcome to attend the listening portion, but we will need someone else from each organization to facilitate. This is not a space to debate whether harm occurred. If you need that explained, you are not ready for the conversation. Please send a different resistance. This one has been given more than enough chances.

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