This offensive by the US-Israeli bloc, aimed at crushing its rivals and forcing them into absolute submission, is an imperialist war. While we unconditionally oppose the bandit-like aggression of the US-Israeli bloc, the defense of the Iranian bourgeois state and the fascist mullah regime is absolutely impermissible! Likewise, distorted anti-imperialist approaches that fail to target the capitalist system –reduced primarily to opposing major powers, and specifically to mere anti-Americanism– are absolutely incompatible with the principles of Marxism. Opposing the aggression of an imperialist power does not, and must never, mean defending a smaller capitalist state and its reactionary regime against a major imperialist state! Neither imperialist intervention, nor the mullah regime, nor Pahlavi, nor any other faction of the Iranian ruling class! The historical task falling upon the Iranian revolutionary communist movement is to conduct propaganda among the working-class masses along these lines, to elevate their class consciousness, and to organize them along a revolutionary line. At the same time, the international revolutionary movement must deepen its internationalist solidarity with the Iranian toilers by confronting the imperialist banditry of the US-Israeli bloc on every front
Knowing no bounds in their imperialist banditry, the US and the Zionist state of Israel launched yet another devastating war against Iran on February 28. Across the country, civilian areas –including TV stations, schools, and hospitals– have been heavily bombarded alongside military facilities, army headquarters, government offices, and police stations, and this bombardment continues relentlessly. In one struck girls’ school, at least 160 children were massacred. Ali Khamenei, the Velayat-e Faqih (Supreme Leader), was killed, along with the Chief of General Staff, numerous high-ranking officials, and army commanders.
Unlike during the 12-Day War, Iran responded immediately after the attacks began, striking US military bases in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq, while targeting Israel with armed drones and advanced ballistic missiles. Furthermore, it closed the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic and struck British military bases in Cyprus. By the third day, the scope and destructiveness of the war had expanded even further. Iran struck the Aramco oil facilities in the Saudi city of Ras Tanura and downed several US F-15 fighter jets in Kuwait. Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq also mobilized against the US-Israeli bloc. Thus, the boundless imperialist banditry of the US-Israeli bloc has caused the flames of war to instantly spread to countless countries, driving the chaos and destruction in the Middle East to colossal proportions.
As revolutionary Marxists, let us state this unequivocally: This offensive by the US-Israeli bloc, aimed at crushing its rivals and forcing them into absolute submission, is an imperialist war. A continuation of the 12-Day War, this imperialist war is one of the most crucial links in the Third World War– a conflict that is simultaneously dragging in countless states, being waged in various forms across numerous fronts, and has assumed a fully global character. It is abundantly clear that Marxists who fail to deeply grasp the true dynamics of the war will be no better at foreseeing its short- and long-term consequences than bourgeois strategists.
The conduct of the US-Israeli bloc, led by the fascists Trump and Netanyahu, is driven by the pursuit of absolute domination and the imperial hubris that they can do whatever they please to secure their desired outcome. There are striking parallels between the conduct of the US under the Trump administration today and its stance at the close of the Second World War. As is well known, even though Japan was practically defeated and on the verge of surrender at the war’s end, US imperialism unleashed the atomic bomb to assert absolute supremacy over its rivals and to deliver a brutal warning. Whereas the US of that era sought to establish an unquestioned hegemony over the imperialist-capitalist system, today it is attempting to restore its deeply shaken and severely eroded hegemony through boundless tyranny.
As the contradictions generated within the very heart of the system by the long-standing crisis of imperialist hegemony sharpen, the aggression of US imperialism –which cannot halt its historical decline– continues to escalate. Relying on its military supremacy, the Trump administration is seeking to impose its absolute domination on everyone through an unbridled policy of imperialist violence that recognizes no rules or binding constraints, employing every form of blackmail and threat. It does not hesitate to resurrect the colonialist practices and annexationist policies that stamped the developmental era of capitalism. From the very beginning, Trump has represented the most warmongering line within the American ruling class. Yet, various factions of the bourgeoisie around the world, including in Turkey, had the audacity to claim that he would bring “peace” to the world! Tragically, they also succeeded in deceiving the unorganized toiling masses into believing this. In reality, Trump argued that if the war were waged in his own style, the desired outcome could be swiftly achieved, and the absolute domination of the US could be reimposed on everyone. And this is what he called “peace”: Pax Trump! The plans to build luxury resort cities for the ultra-rich in Gaza –which has been reduced to rubble by genocidal Israel– are a direct reflection of this very same Pax Trump policy.
Trump has turned blackmail based on brute force and deliberate unpredictability into a central instrument of his imperialist policy. Indeed, even as the third round of negotiations with Iran was underway in Geneva, and despite Iran pledging not to stockpile enriched uranium, he pressed the button for war while the parties were still at the negotiating table. Trump cares nothing for the bankruptcy of diplomacy, nor for the fact that no one will ever trust the US again –even within the framework of bourgeois law. Much like the Roman rulers of antiquity, he seeks to achieve his ends through a policy of absolute violence and fear.
The fundamental reason the US refrained from further escalating the war launched by Israel against Iran in June 2025 was primarily rooted in military calculations. The US-Israeli bloc realized that, despite all the heavy blows it delivered during the 12-Day War, Iran was no easy prey. In fact, had the war been prolonged, Israel –as the direct target of Iran’s ballistic missiles– could have suffered far more catastrophic strikes. Consequently, Trump declared an end to the war, claiming to have obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities –the very pretext Israel used to justify the war– through heavy bombardment by specialized warplanes. In reality, however, this was merely a tactical retreat. While the US-Israeli armies replenished their depleting munitions and devised new strategies, Trump, spurred on by Israeli pressure, began declaring that Iran was attempting to rebuild its strength and that a war of annihilation was imminent. The real aim here, of course, was to exert immense pressure on the mullah regime in Iran in order to impose their own imperialist terms.
The US-Israeli bloc attempted to exploit the anger of the Iranian working masses –which erupted once again on December 28, 2025, triggered by deteriorating economic conditions– and weaponize it against the mullah regime. Trump declared that should the regime open fire on the masses, the US would “come to the aid of the demonstrators” and that its retaliation would be exceedingly severe. In an effort to engineer a fracture within the regime, armed groups organized by the Israeli secret service, Mossad, and supporters of the deposed Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, were mobilized, and armed clashes ensued. However, using these provocations and Israeli agents as a pretext, the fascist mullah regime drowned the justified rebellion of the toiling masses –who were demanding their rights and freedoms– in blood, massacring thousands. Under these oppressive conditions, where the internet was severed to enforce a total blackout and the massacres continued unabated, the mass mobilizations were forced into a retreat.
During those very same days, the mullah regime called upon the US to negotiate the issue of uranium enrichment, and indirect talks commenced via Oman. However, the US-Israeli bloc was dictating that Iran not only abandon uranium enrichment but also terminate its ballistic missile development program, dismantle its existing arsenal, and completely withdraw from the struggle for regional influence. It is abundantly clear that this imposition meant nothing short of the mullah regime voluntarily signing its own death warrant; indeed, the Iranian side declared that its ballistic missile program was not even up for debate. Nevertheless, it is evident that as the mullah regime becomes increasingly cornered, it is inclined to make concessions on this front as well. Likewise, the regime stood ready to throw its doors open for US energy monopolies to penetrate the Iranian market. Throughout this process of diplomatic stalling, the US carried out a massive buildup of weapons and military hardware at its bases in the Middle East and deployed warships to the region, while Trump relentlessly continued his threats.
Having finally completed its war preparations, the US-Israeli bloc moved into action, assassinating Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders to pave the way for regime change, its primary objective from the very beginning. Undoubtedly, the killing –on the very first day of the war– of a figure who sat at the apex of the state with sweeping powers as the supreme religious guide, and who personified the mullah regime, exposes both the profound rot of this regime and the massive security vulnerabilities it faces. All historical experience demonstrates that dictatorial regimes become inextricably identified with their leaders, and that with the leader’s exit from the stage, an inevitable process of dissolution, fracture, and transformation begins within the regime. Of course, it must not be forgotten that the mullah regime in Iran possesses its own specific features. The theocratic regime derives its power not merely from the religious leader, but from Shiite religious networks, from transforming the state apparatus and reconstructing it on the basis of its own ideology, and from wielding organized state violence. The Revolutionary Guards constitute the backbone of this regime and, despite everything, retain a certain social base. Yet, alongside all this, the mullah regime –which drowns every quest for freedom in blood– has long since lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the broad strata of society. Under conditions where a charismatic religious leader like Khamenei has been eliminated, the war has inflicted massive destruction, and social legitimacy has been exhausted, it is exceedingly difficult for the mullah regime to survive, or at least to maintain its existence in the same form! It is impossible for the Revolutionary Guards to seize absolute control and preserve their power by relying on uninterrupted, naked violence.
Following the assassination of Khamenei, Trump issued the following call: “We hope that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the police will peacefully unite with Iranian patriots and work together as a single unit to restore the country to the greatness it deserves.” In other words, in order to prevent the total collapse of the state apparatus and to thwart the masses from seizing the initiative, Trump wants the Revolutionary Guards themselves to spearhead both the dismantling of the regime and a transition period tailored to the interests of US imperialism. This is because the mullah regime, by crushing even the so-called reformist bourgeois factions, has largely obliterated the possibilities of an intra-systemic regime change driven by internal dynamics. The bourgeois opposition is exceedingly weak, and the probability of parachuting in Reza Pahlavi –whose status as an imperialist puppet is firmly registered in the eyes of society– to install him at the helm of Iran and establish a lasting order is also highly remote.
However, it is highly unlikely that the regime will unravel solely in accordance with the dictates of the US-Israeli bloc. For the Western imperialist powers are not merely demanding absolute capitulation from the Iranian ruling class regarding enriched uranium and the ballistic missile program; they simultaneously seek to directly seize Iran’s colossal oil and energy reserves. But Iran, possessing a three-thousand-year imperial legacy and a deeply rooted state apparatus, is no Syria or Iraq. Installing an external puppet at the helm of Iran, tearing the country away from the Russia-China bloc, and dragging it entirely into the Western axis is exceedingly difficult. It is abundantly clear that in such a scenario, it would not merely be the mullah regime that is overthrown; the rival imperialist bloc forged by Russia and China would also suffer a crushing blow in the Middle East. In this scenario, while Russia would be encircled more tightly from the south and the Caucasus, China –which holds extensive energy agreements with Iran– would be completely expelled from the region.
The mullah regime, centered around the Revolutionary Guards, is now attempting to demonstrate –by expanding the war across the entire region– that it will not capitulate easily and that the US-Israeli bloc cannot unilaterally dictate the terms of negotiation. As the 12-Day War was unfolding, we wrote the following:
“It is abundantly clear that if the US war machine mobilizes against Iran, the fireball of war scorching the Middle East will not merely grow larger; the dimensions of destruction and catastrophe stretching from Israel to Iran will expand in ways unforeseeable at present. It is a known fact that Iran-backed Shiite groups will target US military bases throughout the Middle East. Should Iran close the Strait of Hormuz, and the Houthis in Yemen close the Red Sea to maritime traffic, the resulting disruption to the flow of oil, natural gas, and international trade will deeply impact the global economy.”[1]
The unfolding events thus far have entirely vindicated the assessments articulated in these lines. The prolongation of the war and its simultaneous engulfment of the entire Middle East will drag Iran into profound devastation, while concurrently exacting a heavy toll on the US-Israeli bloc.
Immediately following the outbreak of the war, Trump issued a hypocritical appeal to the Iranian people, upon whose very heads he was raining down bombs: “To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight: The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations.” Speaking again two days later, Trump proclaimed that Iranian patriots must be bold and take heroic action for regime change! The genocidal Netanyahu, with the exact same arrogance, did not shy away from issuing his own call for freedom to the Iranian people: “Take to the streets en masse and finish the job; now is the precise time to come together and unite for a historic mission.” Without a doubt, the concept of freedom has never been so trampled underfoot and defiled in any period of history as it is in the mouths of these imperialist and genocidal fascists. For us revolutionary Marxists, the mullah regime must absolutely be overthrown; but along with it, all bourgeois states –including the Zionist state of Israel, which, backed by US imperialism, is perpetrating a genocide against the Palestinian people and drowning the Middle East in blood– must also be smashed!
Undoubtedly, the principal force subjecting the peoples of the Middle East to a living hell today is US imperialism. Likewise, imperialist powers such as the EU, Russia, and China, along with Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states, are all parties –both major and minor– to this imperialist war. Every power, acting in accordance with its own bourgeois interests, bears direct responsibility for the spiral of blood and violence in the Middle East. However, the Zionist state of Israel –which has been structured as a terrorist state since its foundation and has been massacring the Palestinian people for years– occupies a distinct role in this picture. While US imperialism attempts to force all its rivals into submission, it is simultaneously striving to shape a new Middle East centered around Israel. Installing a terrorist state like Israel –a Zionist, genocidal state with a population of 8 million that grounds its expansionist ambitions in religious doctrine– at the core of the Middle Eastern order, and attempting to bring all dissenting states to their knees through blood and brute force, will yield no other outcome than the further expansion of the spiral of imperialist war. Even if US imperialism secures a temporary victory and establishes a certain equilibrium in the Middle East, it is impossible for lasting stability to be forged until the Third Imperialist World War reaches its definitive conclusion.
Only the revolutionary working class can bring lasting peace and genuine stability to the blood-drenched Middle East, and indeed, to the entire world. This perspective simultaneously dictates what our standpoint must be regarding the mullah regime in Iran in the face of the US-Israeli bloc. On one side stands the oppression, tyranny, torture, executions, and massacres perpetrated by the fascist mullah regime since 1979; on the other, the imperialist interventions and unbridled war of the US-Israeli bloc! The Iranian toiling masses have been besieged by both domestic and imperialist bourgeois forces and thrust into a bloody impasse. Yet, overcoming this impasse and shattering the perpetual vicious cycle is entirely possible! The vast majority of the Iranian toilers are acutely aware that the US –which drenches the world in blood– and genocidal Israel will bring them no freedom. The Iranian working people must fuse the struggle they wage against the mullah regime with the resistance they mount against the war pursued by the US-Israeli imperialist bloc.
The historical task falling upon the Iranian revolutionary communist movement is to conduct propaganda among the working-class masses along these lines, to elevate their class consciousness, and to organize them along a revolutionary line. At the same time, the international revolutionary movement must deepen its internationalist solidarity with the Iranian toilers by confronting the imperialist banditry of the US-Israeli bloc on every front. As revolutionary Marxists, our standpoint is unequivocally clear: While we unconditionally oppose the bandit-like aggression of the US-Israeli bloc, the defense of the Iranian bourgeois state and the fascist mullah regime is absolutely impermissible!
Likewise, distorted anti-imperialist approaches that fail to target the capitalist system –reduced primarily to opposing major powers, and specifically to mere anti-Americanism– are absolutely incompatible with the principles of Marxism. Opposing the aggression of an imperialist power does not, and must never, mean defending a smaller capitalist state and its reactionary regime against a major imperialist state! Neither imperialist intervention, nor the mullah regime, nor Pahlavi, nor any other faction of the Iranian ruling class! The sole salvation for the toiling masses lies in seizing political power and paving the way for genuine freedoms and direct democracy (workers’ democracy). The Iranian working class stands as a modern class, possessing deep historical roots and a formidable revolutionary tradition. Having lived under a theocratic dictatorship for many long years, the broad body of the Iranian toilers yearns for a secular life. The triumph of the working class’s revolutionary struggle in a pivotal country like Iran –key in terms of both population and geography– would signify the shattering of the decades-long imperialist and Zionist siege in the Middle East, forging a new path for the peoples of the region. Only then will all the oppressed strata –including the Iranian toilers, women, and the Kurdish and Baluchi peoples, who have been crushed beneath decades of oppression and tyranny– attain the genuine freedom for which they yearn.
ABD-İsrail Emperyalist Haydutluğuna Karşı İran Emekçilerinin Yanındayız!
[1] https://gelecekbizim.net/israel-iran-war-imperialist-war-in-a-new-phase-of-madness/