The Tudeh Party of Iran follows closely and carefully the ongoing developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran and have proceeded to statements and urgents calls regarding the situation in the country. We republish the two latest statements/articles of the Party, published on 9 and 12 January respectively:

Statement of the Tudeh Party of Iran

Long live the dynamic, encompassing, and heroic uprising of the Iranian people against the dictatorship of Ali Khamenei!

9 January 2026

To the militant and conscious folk; workers and all working people; heroic women; and brave youth and students of Iran!

The popular protest uprising, which began with protests and strikes in Tehran’s bazaar, has rapidly spread over the past 13 days to dozens of cities and towns across the country and now poses a major challenge to the ruling dictatorship.  Contrary to the claims of the ruling dictator, this popular protest movement is not a creation of US imperialism or the genocidal Israeli regime, but rather the direct result of the disastrous economic policies of the ruling grand-capitalist system, and the widespread corruption, insecurity, and sweeping oppression imposed upon the nation by the leaders of the regime and their collaborators.  Throughout Iran’s contemporary history - including during the more than half-century rule of the Pahlavi monarchy [1925 - 1979] - we have borne witness to countless other examples of such oppression, corruption, plunder, as well as the eventual fate of the regimes responsible.

The heroic struggle of hundreds of thousands of people in dozens of cities across the country, despite the regime’s efforts to violently suppress it, is clear evidence that the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people do not want the continuation of the current corrupt and anti-popular government.  By implementing neoliberal policies and a so-called “economic surgery” [neoliberal shock therapy], this regime has pushed tens of millions of Iranians below the poverty line and has dragged the livelihoods of workers and other working people to such a dire condition that their wages and incomes no longer cover even the basic necessities of life.  This government has destroyed the country’s productive economy and, through its adventurous foreign policies aimed at “exporting the Islamic revolution”, has placed Iran increasingly at risk of foreign intervention and its catastrophic consequences.

Like the authors of the recent statement by “17 political and civic activists”, we also believe that “the only viable escape [from this predicament] is through the assertion of the people’s agency and their right to determine their own future…  This path neither aligns with internal despots nor passes through war and dependence on foreign powers.”  Only through active and effective cooperation and solidarity among all patriotic, freedom-loving, and progressive social forces, can this future be achieved and this aspiration, desired by the vast majority of the Iranian people, be realised.

The serious challenge facing the current popular uprising is, on the one hand; the absence of a coherent, progressive national leadership and, on the other hand; the extensive efforts of imperialist media outlets, such as the BBC, and the reactionary agents of imperialism on media platforms like Iran International, Manoto, and others, to artificially manufacture a leadership and false narrative regarding these developments.  In recent days, we have witnessed widespread efforts by some of these media outlets to lend a hollow legitimacy to monarchists by manipulating protest videos, including the adding of audio overlays and splicing of footage in an attempt to misleadingly portray the restoration of the monarchy as the core demand of this popular uprising, and to promote and amplify this narrative thereafter.

The Tudeh Party of Iran believes that replacing the current political system, i.e. the theocratic-capitalist dictatorship, with a monarchical-capitalist system - which would involve the re-establishing of the repressive ancien régime[pre-1979], thereby once more turning Iran into a military base for imperialism in the region, as well as the plundering of Iran’s oil and other natural resources - cannot equate to the gaining of a free future liberated from despotism or a move towards genuine social justice.  Currents and forces that invest their hopes in the quasi-fascist Trump administration and the genocidal Israeli government to “liberate Iran” cannot realistically be regarded as the harbingers of a free, independent, and prosperous Iran.  The painful experiences of Iraq and Libya following direct imperialist interventions in their internal affairs must serve as a serious warning and alarm bell for all progressive and freedom-loving forces in the country.

Today, all of us must focus all our efforts and capacities on the continuation and expansion of this popular uprising until victory.  The direct presence and broad participation of workers and other working people, retirees, civil servants, intellectuals, and patriotic segments of the middle strata of society in the ongoing popular movement are essential to strengthening its capacity.  By building solidarity and unity in action among all progressive social forces in this struggle, we must strive to confront the ruling dictatorship and the threats of US imperialism simultaneously.

Move towards the organising of a nationwide general strike to restrict and ultimately completely dismantle the Islamic Republic’s ability to continue ruling, as well as towards the establishment of a transitional national-popular government, with the holding of a free and democratic referendum to determine the future path of the country, are among the key strategies that must be pursued.

• Power to the people’s struggle against the regime of the Islamic Republic, against poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and repression!

• Members of the military and security forces, you are part of this nation; join the people’s struggle against the authoritarian regime!

• End the bloody and violent repression of protesting people!

• Attacks on medical centres and hospitals are crimes against humanity - stop these attacks!

• All detainees of the current movement, all political prisoners, and all prisoners of conscience must be immediately and unconditionally released!

• Forwards towards the laying of the grounds for a nationwide general strike!

* * *

The Tudeh Party of Iran

Iran on the Brink of Potentially Devastating Transformations:

“The Urgent Need for Immediate Action to Save the Country from Dictatorship”

Published- 12 January 2026

It must be stated clearly once again that the outbreak of the current protest uprising and its expansion over the past 15 days are rooted directly in the rapid spread of poverty, inequality, and blatant injustice, as well as corruption and the wealth accumulation of a small minority as a result of the government’s economic policies over the past three decades—not in demands for the return of monarchy or the restoration of royal rule.

Moreover, alongside the heroic struggle of hundreds of thousands of people against despotism and class oppression, it is evident that certain organized elements and groups, through acts of sabotage and violence, are attempting to pave the way for direct intervention by the United States and its allies in the course of the current protests.

In this way, the catastrophic consequences of the ruling theocratic regime’s domestic policies, combined with the devastating impact of U.S. sanctions on people’s lives and livelihoods, have placed the country today in an extremely difficult situation.

Imperialist media outlets, once again relying on their vast resources and capabilities, have launched propaganda campaigns and disseminated fabricated narratives aimed at restoring the monarchy. They are attempting to ride the wave of the people’s legitimate protests and divert the anti-dictatorship movement from its true path. On the one hand, these media provide an excuse for regime leaders to label the people’s protest uprising as the work of the United States and Israel; on the other hand, by exaggerating monarchist currents, they seek to create obstacles in the process of building unity and practical coordination among progressive and national forces.

Developments at home and abroad over the past few days demonstrate that the artificial and dependent current formed around the slogan “return of the monarchy” not only lacks a broad social base and a serious program for democratic change, but is also incapable of achieving anything without U.S. and Israeli intervention and threats—aside from sabotaging the anti-dictatorship movement and popular protests. Reza Pahlavi’s shameful request to Trump on January 9, under the pretext of “helping the people of Iran,” in which he stated, “You have proven—and I know—that you are a man of peace and true to your word; please be ready to intervene to help the people of Iran,” is a clear example of the anti-national behaviour of this current. In practice, such appeals have given the leaders and repression apparatus of the Islamic Republic the opportunity and pretext they needed—citing Khamenei’s order labelling protesters as “rioters” and “foreign agents” and warning that the government would show them no leniency—to violently suppress the entire protest movement by falsely accusing the people, through figures such as Pezeshkian, of being “terrorists,” “instigators,” and mercenaries of the “enemy.” Given Trump’s threats of intervention in Iran, the actions of Reza Pahlavi and the leaders of the Islamic Republic together could create conditions that smooth the path toward a U.S. attack on Iran.

Over the past few days, major Western media outlets and some Western politicians, by exaggerating the monarchist current and steering public opinion toward portraying the collapse of the Islamic Republic as inevitable—and direct “Western” intervention under Trump’s leadership as necessary—have been pursuing and guiding an “alternative-making project” for Iran. For example, since last Friday night, BBC radio and television networks in the UK have aired videos produced by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, conducted interviews with John Bolton, and broadcast similar programs. Alongside major media in France and the United States, they are attempting to create an atmosphere and justification for intervention in Iran’s internal developments. The British government, a longstanding accomplice of the United States in advancing imperialist policies, also announced on Sunday, January 11, that it seeks a “peaceful transfer of power in Iran.”

In addition, we are witnessing regrettable actions by some well-known Iranian figures. Among them are Shirin Ebadi, jurist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Mohsen Makhmalbaf, writer and filmmaker; and Abdullah Mohtadi, Secretary-General of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan. In alignment with Reza Pahlavi, they wrote a letter to Trump calling for his intervention in Iran’s affairs—an intervention that would include military action. Is Shirin Ebadi unaware of the fascistic views, reactionary anti-woman and racist ideology, and aggressive, hegemonic policies of a figure like Trump and his war-criminal accomplice Netanyahu?

Within the framework of the plans of the United States and its allies for our country and the region, such appeals and reliance on foreign intervention in Iran’s internal affairs are in fact tools to contain and neutralize any possibility of organizing a popular movement and forming an Iranian force capable of rescuing the country from the current ruling dictatorship and guiding it toward national-democratic revolutionary transformations. These imperialist interventionist policies have been repeated many times in Iran over the past century. The Pahlavis played a fundamental role in implementing these policies, benefited from them, and in return granted major concessions to the intervening powers—against national interests—including during the August 19, 1953 coup against the national government of Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh following the nationalization of the oil industry.

After the overthrow of the dependent dictatorship of the Pahlavi family more than four decades ago in the popular revolution of 1979, the theocratic dictatorship quickly abandoned the ideals of the revolution and, in order to preserve the dominance of “political Islam” and protect the astronomical wealth of power-connected elites, positioned itself against the working people and national interests. For years, this regime has been an obstacle to fundamental national-democratic transformations. The situation has now deteriorated to such an extent that society sees all avenues for justice-seeking, equality, and freedom closed, and—despite repression—has reached an explosive stage of widespread street protest to reclaim its rights. Under such acute conditions, with a weak, corrupt, and repressive government, Iran once again faces dangerous threats from the United States, Israel, and their infiltrating agents.

Following successive popular protests in Iran over the past one or two decades, it is clear that the theocratic regime has now lost the ability to contain or balance against the legitimate protest uprisings of the majority of society and is no longer capable of even relatively repairing or managing the deep rift between the people and the state. The remarks made last Sunday night by Masoud Pezeshkian in his so-called “frank and friendly televised dialogue with the people” on the economic and livelihood crisis and the removal of subsidized exchange rates were nothing more than a repetition of tedious and fruitless rhetoric from the past and will bring no real change in favor of the people. His ineffective “talk therapy” acknowledging the economic roots of recent protests—without offering any effective remedy—will have no impact on public opinion. The working people feel these issues with their own flesh and blood and have learned through experience that government officials lack the will and capacity to resolve them.

On the same day, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament, had nothing to say beyond repeating dangerous and reckless bravado—bravado that can clearly be interpreted as beating the drums of war. He stated: “In the event of a military attack, Iran, within the framework of legitimate defence, will consider Israel and U.S. military and shipping centres to be legitimate targets.” Ebrahim Azizi, a brigadier general in the IRGC and head of Parliament’s National Security Commission, went even further with such foolish and dangerous posturing, stating with reference to the recent protests: “In the future, the Islamic Republic will consider any action against the United States and Israel legitimate because of these events.” Meanwhile, according to Trump’s latest claim, the Islamic Republic has requested the start of negotiations, and Abbas Araghchi also announced on Monday, January 12, that “the Islamic Republic is ready both for war and for negotiations.”

The reality is that both the powerful forces and factions within the structure of the ruling dictatorship and the forces dependent on Trump’s America seek the continuation of some form of dictatorship in Iran. The first group pursues this goal either through preserving the existing structure centred on the absolute rule of the Supreme Leader—though its lifespan is rapidly approaching its end—or through limited changes aimed at safeguarding big-capital interests at any cost, while maintaining the current political economy within a neoliberal framework. The second group advances this approach within the strategic plans of Trump’s domineering and coercive government, in coordination with the war-mongering Netanyahu, to redraw the region’s geopolitical map. Today, Iran stands at the centre of these changes in its weakest and most fragile political, economic, and social condition.

Over the past century, this is yet another instance in which our country, due to the recklessness of its rulers and their disregard for the lives and livelihoods of working people, has fallen into unrest and entered a path of decisive transformations. Unfortunately, this time—as during the 1979 revolution—progressive and national political forces lack the necessary preparedness for effective and practical unity around a shared minimum program, making the direction of current developments deeply concerning. Once again, certain circles are attempting to impose a “leader” on the movement from outside. The fragmentation of progressive forces is such that until just a few weeks ago, some organizations and individuals—rather than focusing on constructive dialogue, practical coordination, and mutual support (including and especially support for prominent forces and figures inside the country such as Mir-Hossein Mousavi or Tajzadeh and 17 civil activists who declared that “transition from the Islamic Republic is the only way to save Iran”)—were instead preoccupied with abstract interviews and writings disconnected from the country’s realities and external threats, redefining “the left” and settling scores with progressive forces, while the left movement and the Tudeh Party of Iran were simultaneously under pressure and attack from the regime’s security-media apparatus and media linked to the Pahlavi camp and foreign powers. It is clear that this fragmentation, divisiveness, and inaction effectively serve the interests of the theocratic dictatorship and monarchist currents.

The Tudeh Party of Iran, through its calls, official documents, articles in Nameh-ye Mardom, and direct contacts with other progressive and national forces, has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of constructive dialogue and practical cooperation around a minimum program in the struggle against the ruling authoritarian regime. Progressive forces need to formulate a shared program that can be presented to the people and prepare the movement to confront the current critical situation. With such a tool, there is hope that developments can be directed toward serving national interests and popular demands. Unfortunately, thus far this opportunity has not been used to organize a united and effective struggle against dictatorship.

Nevertheless, despite the harsh conditions prevailing in the country and the inability of progressive national forces to effectively shape the course of events, we believe that the anti-dictatorship struggle and the defence of peace and national sovereignty will continue for objective and real reasons. From the perspective of the Tudeh Party of Iran, a shared framework for dialogue and agreement among progressive left and national forces at the current stage of struggle may include the following fundamental objectives:

• Moving toward the establishment of a national-democratic government, with the complete separation of religion from the state—including all governmental and executive institutions, legislation, the judiciary, and all aspects of social planning
• A complete halt to neoliberal economic programs in the core sectors of the national economy
• Defence of peace, national sovereignty, commitment to Iran’s territorial integrity, and opposition to any form of foreign intervention in Iran’s internal affairs
• Freedom for all labour, political, and ideological prisoners

The urgency of the moment dictates that, to save the country from dictatorship, we must immediately join hands and act without delay.

Quoted from “Nameh-ye Mardom” Central Organ of the Tudeh Party of Iran, Issue No. 1251, 12 January 2026.

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