Devastating war, struggle against imperialism, and national interests
After weeks of indirect negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the Trump administration—which, according to the Wall Street Journal, were aimed at “limiting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program” and were seen by many as a suitable path to maintaining regional peace—these negotiations ultimately “turned into a convenient cover for a surprise Israeli attack.”
The expansionist policies of global imperialism, led by the United States, have in past decades enabled and allowed the criminal Israeli state to permanently occupy large portions of Arab lands, massacre tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children, and displace and make refugees of millions. Backed by successive U.S. governments—both Democrat and Republican—and by European countries, Israel acts with impunity and is not held accountable by any international body. Its conduct on the world stage mirrors that of a criminal syndicate engaged in international extortion, terrorism, and crimes under the guise of combating “anti-Semitism.”
The horrific killing of over 55,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, and the inhumane imposition of famine and starvation upon millions of Gaza residents in the past two years—amid the tacit approval of the U.S. and the European Union—even as the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and members of his government on war crimes charges, highlights the erosion of international law and the failure of institutions like the United Nations and the Hague Tribunal to curb the belligerence of imperialist powers and their aggressive allies and their complete disregard for the laws.
It is noteworthy that none of the leaders of major capitalist powers—from the UK, France, and Germany to Trump’s fascistic administration—have condemned Israel’s invasion of Iranian territory or its blatant and violent violations of international law. At best, they have merely called for “restraint” and “expressed concern” over rising tensions in the region. These are the very governments that have armed Israel with the most up-to-date and deadly military equipment. Moreover, according to multiple international news agencies, the U.S., UK, and France actively assisted Israel’s military in intercepting missiles launched by the Islamic Republic, effectively standing with the Israeli army in defending that country. Thus, we are now witnessing a coordinated front of imperialist states and their vast arsenals defending Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal government.
Given the developments in recent years in the region—and the events of recent days marked by Israel’s large-scale attack on Iran—as far as the Iranian people and their national interests are concerned, our homeland is now in a very precarious and dangerous situation. At present, unfortunately, the tools to shape the country’s future are not in the hands of its citizens but are held hostage by the Islamic Republic’s destructive policies to maintain its corrupt regime on the one hand, and by the expansionist policies of imperialism and its criminal ally Netanyahu’s government on the other. As we have previously stated despite the decay of the dictatorial regime, the absence of a progressive and effective alternative means that the Islamic Republic, relying on repression and now using the external threat as justification for “sacred defence of the homeland,” can suppress the freedom movement and prolong its rule.
The Islamic Republic’s reckless policies, based on exporting the so-called “Islamic Revolution” to other countries, have inflicted immense harm to the countries in the region. Khamenei claimed: “The one who goes from here to Iraq or Syria, defending the sanctity of the Prophet’s household against Takfiris, is essentially defending their own cities…” and “Had they not fought there, the enemy would have come here, and we would have had to fight them in Kermanshah, Hamedan, and other provinces.” (Quoted from Khamenei’s official website and speeches dated June 25, 2016, and February 24, 2016). In that adventure, tens of billions of dollars of the national revenue were spent on proxy groups in the region, ultimately bringing war, destruction, and danger back to Iran, putting the country’s national sovereignty at risk. This regime represents corrupt, and big rentier capitalists and has brought about catastrophic poverty and deprivation for tens of millions of citizens through its anti-national, anti-people policies. The hollow, populist slogans about fighting imperialism serve only as regional propaganda tools for its proxies inside and outside the country.
While a large portion of the regime’s security budget and repressive security apparatus is spent on hunting down and torturing progressive and freedom-seeking activists—and executing hundreds of them—Israeli and American intelligence agencies have infiltrated the regime to its core. In recent days, we have seen how these infiltrators could freely operate inside Iran and accurately identify and assassinate senior military commanders.
The continued bombing of multiple regions in Iran—including economic infrastructure from oil facilities to automobile factories, resulting in worker casualties—and Israel’s declaration that such bombings may continue for weeks, will undoubtedly lead not only to more people being killed and injured but also to widespread destruction of Iran’s economic assets.
In such a decisive moment—when recent events may leave their mark on Iran’s development for decades to come—it is the duty of all progressive and freedom-loving forces in the country to oppose the expansion of war and the dangerous policies that could turn Iran into another Iraq. This situation may give U.S. imperialism and its allies the excuse to intervene directly for a “regime change”. Mercenary groups such as monarchists and the MEK (Mujahedin), who claim that “the Iranian people support these attacks,” are calling for a broader military assault on Iran—which would inevitably lead to the country’s destruction and the imposition of a puppet government on its ruins.
The Tudeh Party of Iran has repeatedly stated its firm belief that Iran’s future must be decided solely by the Iranian people. Transitioning from the reactionary Velayat-e Faqih regime to a popular government that guarantees the country’s freedom and independence and lays the groundwork for social justice is only possible through the struggles of workers, labourers, women, youth, and all progressive and nationalist forces in Iran. Today, the struggle for peace and preventing the country’s annihilation is inseparable from the fight against dictatorship and the ruling reactionary regime, as well as the battle against the hegemonic and destructive policies of global imperialism led by the U.S. and its regional allies. It is only in peace that the anti-dictatorship struggle can be advanced. Joint efforts by all peace-loving and progressive forces in Iran and the region to end the current military confrontations, to increase pressure on international institutions, and mobilize public opinion to rein in the Israeli regime and establish a ceasefire can be the first step toward preventing a larger catastrophe.—one that will undoubtedly have irreparable consequences for Iran in the years to come.
tudehpartyiran.org
Also read:
Tudeh Party of Iran — Communist Party of Israel: Stop the Killing! End the War Now
