Iran

The imperialist rivalry between the eastern camp (led by China) and the western camp (led by America) is getting more hot as the USA is declaring to defend the terror-state of Israel against a possible Iranian missile strike. After the Israeli’s attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria, the Ayatollah regime speaks of a retaliation strike. The regime of Benjamin Netanyahu has little regard for human rights, Israel killed over 40.000 Palestinians since the year 2000. It also attacked countries like Lebanon, Syria and Iran, with no sanctions or condemnation from western imperialism.

The position of the Iranian regime

The Islamic Republic of Iran claims to oppose western imperialism since 1979. Its opposition to imperialism led to the installation of a U.S trade embargo. Like Cuba, Iran is forbidden from buying western technology. The hypocritical move to install an embargo had nothing to do with human rights as the USA and western Europe, fully supported the Imperial State of Iran before 1979. It has all to do with the opposition of the Ayatollahs to the imperialist politics of Washington DC and their European puppets.

After the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the theocratic regime moved towards deregulations and privatisations, in the hope of better relationships with the west. Although Europe wanted to end the sanctions, it was Donald Trump to reinstalled them as Tehran kept opposing western imperialism and its ambition for global power. Iran opposed the imperialist attacks on nations like Afghanistan and Iraq. It also supports Hezbollah (Party of God) in Lebanon and arms Shia-Islamist militia’s in Iraq to fight against Islamic State, which is a Sunni-Islamist movement.

Israeli attacks against Iran

The State of Israel knows that it can attack any nation as long as the USA does not lift a finger. This is why any Israeli government could launch bombing raids against Lebanese, Syrian and Iranian positions. On 1 April, the Iranian embassy in Damascus was attacked by Israel, killing 16 people. This assault received little attention in the western media, despite this massive breach of international law. If Iranian planes would have attacked the American embassy in any nation, then the western media would have called for war.

But this is not the first time Israeli planes have launched attacks against Syria. For many years, the Israeli air-force has illegally attacked Syrian cities, killing members of militia’s who are armed by Iran. Often these attacks are met with harsh anti-Israeli propaganda, but as of this date Iran has not attacked Israel with rockets. Because they know that the USA is the real reason Israel can do what it does. America is the very reason why Benjamin Netanyahu is free to attack anybody who he says is an enemy of the State of Israel.

Iran is not anti-capitalist

Because Iran is under sanctions it is forced to turn to the eastern imperialist camp for support. While criticising western imperialism, the Ayatollahs regime remains silent on the imperialist ambitions of Beijing. This show us that their anti-imperialism is just a smoke screen, to hide their inability to improve the lives of Iranian workers. Today over 40% of the Iranian economy is owned by capitalists and they are free to exploit workers. 1/3 of all working class Iranians live in poverty, due to the capitalist reforms carried out in the 1990’s.

Although the state keeps control over major means of production, we must not forget that the Iranian government does not work in the interests of working class people. The government works in the interests of Shia-Islamism, its religious leaders; the Ayatollahs. Although there are democratic elements in the Iranian system, the reality remains that those who reject Shia-Islamism are suppressed and are not free to speak out. Anyone calling for secularism, socialism or even liberalism is arrested by the religious police.

Western war with Iran

Western media propagandists have often debated what a war with Iran would look like. Although the USA has the better army, Iran is not Afghanistan or Iraq in 2003. The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces is better organised and armed compared to the weak militia of the Taliban in 2001 or the Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussein. Iran has the means to fight an imperialist attack by the western powers. A war with the Ayatollahs will result in destabilising the Gulf region and it will disrupt the trade routes. Now this is something the capitalists might not like, but then again if the Israeli regime has the freedom to assault embassies of nations they don’t like, then we should not be surprised if Israel is getting a pay back.

American imperialism will be forced to enter into a war with Iran, should Tehran choose to attack Israel. The position of revolutionary socialists in such an event is clear. We do not support any imperialist attack on Iran. At the same time we reject antisemitic attacks of Iranian proxies in the western world. We do not support reactionary groups like the Party of God (Hezbollah) or the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), who are armed by Iran. Revolutionary socialists reject the terror attacks by Israel on Shia-Islamist groups in Syria and Iraq. These attacks only destabilise the region and can lay the seeds for a bigger conflict to come.

Socialism as the solution to end capitalist rivalry and war

We reject both the imperialist camps of the west and the east. No support for the Ayatollahs, because we have seen how undemocratic, anti-feminist and pro-capitalist they govern. Our alternative is that of socialism from below. Democratic socialism means the nationalisation of the means of production under democratic control by workers councils. Democratic planning of the economy to meet the needs of working class people. Socialism however can only be build up by the working class, not by a sectarian minority. This is why we say that the working class needs a revolutionary party, that can lead the masses into revolution.

The youth of Iran have shown to have huge potential. There have been uprisings, demonstrations and massive protests by younger Iranians. What is lacking each time is the organisation of the working class. Iran lacks a workers party on a socialist program that acts as the vanguard of the proletariat at times when revolution is possible. Because demonstrations are not enough. In a dictatorship like Iran, the workers will have to arm themselves to fight the army and militia’s of the reactionary Ayatollahs.

This will require a class consciousness and the understanding that socialism is the only alternative. Young Iranians wish for an end to the regime and its repressive methods against women and minorities. This is why we say that the future belongs to the youth and that future can only be socialism.

Revolutionary socialists stand in full support of the masses, who are in rebellion against the Shia-Islamic regime in Iran. The death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini caused a storm of anger and hatred towards the conservative dictatorship. Amini was murdered by the Guidance Patrol, the religious police of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although the government claimed she died because of a hearth attack, witnesses say that Mahsa Amini was severely beaten, which in addition to her leaked medical scans, led independent observers to diagnose cerebral haemorrhage and a stroke.

Iran has a young population, most are born after 1979. Millions have known only the brutal conservative regime of Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the Supreme Leader. Khamenei is the second leader of the Iranian Shia theocracy, that came to power after the pro-western Shah (Emperor) of Iran was overthrown. What came after the Iranian Revolution was not an improvement. The Ayatollahs are the ruling force and elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran are a façade, since genuine opposition to Shia-Islamism is banned.

Since 2017 there are more protests against the government. Many young Iranians have enough and wish for political reforms. But the ruling Ayatollahs refuse, they have governed the country for 43 years and have no desire to let go. Meanwhile the working class is suffering. Since the 1990’s, Ali Khamenei allowed deregulation and privatization of the Iranian economy. This created massive inequality and millions were forced to work under neoliberal conditions. Capitalism created a new layer of rich, while 38% of all Iranians ended up in poverty.

Since 16 September, many young Iranians are in full rebellion. Women and girls burn the forced headscarf and turn massively on the religious doctrine of female obedience. The religious police opened fire and killed around 80 protestors while arresting 1.200. We revolutionary socialists stand in full solidarity of all who dare to oppose the reactionary regime. Therefore we call for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all Ayatollahs. What Iran needs is a revolutionary organization that can mobilize the anger into a resistance movement of millions.

The official resistance to the Shia theocracy is located outside Iran. Liberal and left-wing groups were forced out of the country after Ruhollah Khomeini (1979-1989) created a regime build on Shia-Islamism. The regime does not tolerate criticism and has resorted to violence, terror and mass murder. This is why we say that only a resistance movement based on the working class and with a independent socialist program can win. We cannot trust the official opposition like the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which is linked to western imperialism.

We support the many demands of the demonstrators who defy the Guidance Patrol and call for:

Dismantlement of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Introduction of liberal democracy and the protection of civil and political rights
Revoking mandatory religious requirements, such as the mandatory hijab law
Dissolution of the Morality Police and abolition of Sharia law in Iran
Ending persecution and violence against women in Iran
Prosecuting the killers of Mahsa Amini

Workers and youth in Iran must not trust the western world and their lies. Western imperialism has no desire to help working class people. As we have seen in Afghanistan and Iraq, western nations only care about governments loyal to their capitalist world view. This is why the brutal Saudi monarchy is supported by western weapons and technology, while the Iranian regime is under a trade embargo. In Saudi-Arabia there is less political freedom then in Iran, yet the Royal House of Saud is a full ally of NATO and a massive buyer of western military hardware.

The western sanctions have not hit the Ayatollahs nor the capitalist elite that supports them. Those who suffer under trade embargos are workers and their families. This is why we have always opposed western sanctions as they do not harm the ruling elites. Saddam Hussein of Iraq lived like a king in the 1990’s, while Iraqi’s could not get basic needs, because of the western trade embargo against Iraq. Cuba is suffering under a western embargo since 1961, while regimes loyal to western imperialism have never been under trade embargos.

Workers of Iran will have to unite to build a national resistance force of the working class. A force of millions can defeat the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and might get support from regular Iranian soldiers. Because the main army is often made up of working class conscripts. Protests alone are not enough as the regime will use full force. Workers and youth will have to strike and call for mass disobedience. But as we have seen before, if there is no leadership, no organization, then the Ayatollahs will win again and again.

We call for a socialist Iran under control of workers and youth. A society that can use the wealth created by millions for millions and not the few as is now the case. Revolutionary action is now needed if the youth wishes to live in freedom. They will have to fight and be willing to use violence to free themselves of the dictatorial regime. If millions rise up, then Ali Khamenei will be forced to flee the country like the Shah did in 1979. Although the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have good moral and weaponry, they are the only armed pillar on which the regime is build. If regular soldiers join the masses, then a revolution is unstoppable!