Despite ceasefire agreement in April, U.S. strikes on Iran began again the week of June 8, threatening the return to full scale war. The effects of this war continue to echo accross the world and will not be going away anytime soon. Prices of essential resources are rising, bloody wars rage on, and the crisis of capitalist imperialism continues to be felt around the world. Now more than ever, it is critical that we understand what has lead to this moment and the ways that it will shape the future of people around the world for years to come. Below are some of the key pieces of information that have shaped GDC’s understanding of this war and will continue to guide our analysis going forward.
- This is a regional war between the forces of imperialism and anti-imperialism in West Asia. The main actors are the US, Israel and Iran but there are many other states and political organizations involved, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Lebanon, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and more.
- The reasons for this war are clear. Israel aims to expand its territory and settle much of the surrounding region. This includes weakening any of the powers that oppose this expansion. The US aims to weaken China by cutting off its oil and gas supply and taking possession of it for the benefit of American Capitalists. Iran and the Axis of Resistance* aim to preserve their existence, defend their populations, and for a permanent end to US-Israeli attacks against Iran and national sovereignty for Iran and all countries in the region.
- Iran is not a nuclear threat. The United States is the only country to use a nuclear weapon against another nation. Iran does not have nuclear weapons and has never developed nuclear weapons. 18 US intelligence agencies and international nuclear inspectors agree that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.
- The war went poorly for US imperialists and the US media did not cover it. The economic, political, and military losses of the US are large and growing — many US bases in the Middle East have been destroyed. The war in Iran is restricted the ability of the US ruling class to wage imperial wars elsewhere around the world. The US had to pull military assets from other regions.
- The US and Israel have made “peace” negotiations impossible. Past ceasefires and peace agreements have consistently been broken by the US and Israel, as “peace” is upheld and broken at will of the imperialists. The US and Israel have a long history of killing peace negotiators in the Middle East and in Iran, specifically.
- The Iranian people support the defense of their country and liberation of the region. There have been daily rallies across the country against American aggression and in support of the Iranian government. The Iranian people are in the streets saying, “Free Palestine, Decolonization Now! End to US-Israeli Arrogance!” The Iranian people are sick of US attacks and US sanctions, they want to live free from the boot of US imperialism.
- This protest should not be confused with the historical, and future, proletarian class struggle against the ruling classes in Iran. Conditions in Iran are shaped by Iranian class society, and worsened by US sanctions, including destructive State Sponsor of Terror designations. We can stand with the masses as they rebel against imperialism and capitalism.
- The axis of resistance is a primary anti-imperialist force in the world today. The genocide in Gaza has proven that more than any other force in the world, the axis of resistance is willing to organize, mobilize and lay down their lives for the cause of national liberation, decolonization and anti-imperialism.
- The working class will gain nothing and lose much from this war. The US working class is paying for the bullets and bombs with billions of our tax dollars that could be spent on health, education and our welfare. Critical oil infrastructure has been destroyed and will take decades to rebuild, if it is rebuilt at all, causing the price of gasoline, energy, and basic goods to skyrocket. The global working class pays with their lives, as well as poisoned water, air, land, and stolen natural resources.
- The U.S. working class must organize to help end this war. Reflect on the failures of Palestine organizing over the last 3 years. Agitate within your local orgs and unions to expand their political scope. Now is the time to challenge long held Islamophobic and orientalist beliefs. Begin organizing a true anti-imperialist, anti-war movement with the ability to challenge capital and the state. Strike at the heart of empire and organize against the war machine.
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