US Congressman from the Republican Party, Joe Wilson, sharply criticized Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, accusing it of damaging US strategic interests in the region and supporting Iran during a debate on Georgia held at the Hudson Institute.
Wilson claimed that what he described as the “mafia-like seizure” of Georgia by Bidzina Ivanishvili has had “devastating consequences” for both the Georgian people and the strategic interests of the United States.
“The mafia-like seizure of Georgia by Putin’s war criminal oligarch Ivanishvili has had devastating consequences for America’s strategic interests and the brave people of Georgia,” Wilson said.
The congressman accused the Georgian Dream government of supporting what he called the “terrorist regime in Tehran,” referring to several actions by Georgian officials.
Wilson claimed that in February 2026, Georgia’s foreign minister attended an event at the Iranian Embassy marking the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and criticized the illumination of a tower in Tbilisi in the colors associated with Iran.
“How heartbreaking to pay tribute to a totalitarian dictatorship in this way,” he said.
Wilson further alleged that shortly after the launch of “Operation Epic Fury,” a representative of the Georgian Dream government signed a condolence book at the Iranian Embassy that, according to him, mourned Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and condemned US strikes on Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons capabilities.
“But mourning Khamenei in the same year that dictator Khamenei killed 50,000 Iranian citizens is unthinkable and what a revealing statement about the orientation of the Georgian Dream government,” Wilson said.
The Republican congressman also accused Georgian Dream of assisting Iran during the current conflict by allegedly allowing Russian strategic aircraft to use Georgian airspace to transport resources supporting Tehran.
Wilson contrasted Georgia’s current trajectory with recent regional diplomatic developments, pointing to growing cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and US diplomatic engagement in the South Caucasus.
“Who would have imagined Armenia and Azerbaijan, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan together in the US Oval Office? Two former Soviet republics. This is an achievement, but they [Georgian Dream] are undermining the success in the Caucasus,” Wilson said.
