Editor’s note: Events over the last 24 hours confirm warnings and assessments of Communist and worker parties around the world, with President Trump announcing a prolonged and intensified attack on Iran, including the sending of additional weaponry, attack planes, and troops.
Casualty figures of killed Americans have risen to six, and the Red Crescent now reports over 700 Iranians killed. Retaliatory strikes by Iran are happening all over the Middle East.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the press yesterday that the war is “only in the early stages” and more U.S. troops are on the way to the region.
Communist and workers’ parties from virtually every corner of the globe have issued a united and forceful condemnation of the joint U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran on Saturday, warning that the strikes threaten to ignite a wider regional war with catastrophic consequences.
The unprovoked attacks, which began in the early hours of February 28, have been met with a wave of solidarity for the Iranian people and denunciations of what many parties are calling a “flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter.” The statements, circulated via the Solidnet platform of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP), echo the sentiments of parties in the immediate line of fire, including in Iran, Israel, and the United States, who were among the first to speak out.
The Tudeh Party of Iran slammed the “blatant aggression” of the “extensive missile and air strikes,” warning it would result in the loss of life and destruction of the country. The party condemned the attack as an attempt by U.S. imperialism and Israel “to destroy Iran as a capable regional country and replace the current government with a dependent and despotic regime,” and called on all national and freedom-seeking forces to mobilize against the assault.
In Israel, the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) and the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) denounced “the war of aggression launched by Israel… against Iran,” warning it “may ignite a large-scale regional or global war.” The CPI framed the attack within the broader context of U.S. imperialist aims, stating, “Israel is not only an instrument of global American imperialism, but also a partner in it in its efforts to impose American imperialist hegemony over the world.” The party further expressed fear that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu would use the war as cover to “intensify massacres and crimes of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
The Communist Party USA also “strongly and unequivocally condemns the Trump administration’s current war on Iran,” pointing out it was the ninth country bombed by the president. In a call to action, the CPUSA urged mass mobilization: “If there is no organized peace movement near you, build the coalition! If your town hasn’t held an anti-war rally, organize one! We will not stop until this war against Iran is ended.”
In India, both major communist parties spoke out. The Communist Party of India (CPI) condemned the “unilateral military attacks” as a “grave violation of international law” and part of a “dangerous strategy aimed at imposing regime change in Iran.” The CPI called on the Indian government to “categorically condemn these attacks,” noting the aggression came immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) echoed this, stating the attacks were carried out “in flagrant violation of Iran’s national sovereignty, the UN Charter and all international treaties,” and labeled the U.S. “a belligerent bully” for its recent attacks on Iran, Venezuela, and threats to Cuba.
From neighboring Pakistan, the party there questioned who had granted “the American imperialist rulers and the fascist, racist, and Zionist rulers of Israel the right to interfere in different countries around the world through the use of force.” The Communist Party of Pakistan expressed solidarity with the people of Iran and also Cuba, appealing to all “conscientious and humanist forces worldwide” to raise their voices against the collusion of the U.S. and Israeli imperialists.
European communist parties also registered their strong protest. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) described the attack as a “reprehensible and criminal act” bringing the world closer to a generalized war. The KKE warned that the New Democracy government in Athens had “entangled the country in US-Israeli plans” by turning Greek military infrastructure into a “launching pad,” putting the Greek people at risk.
The Communist Party of Britain demanded “no UK military support for the US premeditated attack on Iran,” specifically calling for the base at Akrotiri in Cyprus not to be used. The party called on all those “who support peace and oppose imperialist war to attend the emergency protest called by the Stop the War on Iran coalition,” which took place that afternoon.
The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) in Cyprus also condemned the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling it “patently hypocritical.” The party also issued a statement that their “fears have been confirmed” regarding the semi-occupation of their country by British military bases.
“The recent attack on the British bases on our island confirms the dangers that their presence poses to Cyprus and our people. We call on the government to convey to the British government that Cyprus and its people oppose any kind of military involvement of the bases in any conflicts in the region.
“In any case, our people’s demand for the dismantling of the British bases on our island is once again proving to be timely and enduring,” the party said.
The German Communist Party (DKP) said that the U.S. and Israel “behave like robbers toward their adversaries and toward international law, proving that their words are worthless in negotiations.” The party said that the reaction of the German government is “reprehensible, as it sides with the aggressors while other governments demand adherence to international law.”
The party called on the workers’ and peace movements to protest against their government’s support for the war against Iran and demanded the withdrawal of all US troops from Germany.
The French Communist Party (PCF) condemned the bombings and expressed solidarity with the Iranian progressive forces, “including our partners in the Tudeh Party.” The Communist Party of Norway (NKP) stated the attack “cannot be viewed in isolation from the ongoing genocidal policy against the Palestinian people,” and called on the labor movement to mobilize against “NATO imperialism.” The Communist Party of Ireland demanded that the Irish government “roundly condemn these military actions by the U.S. and Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire.”
The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a sharp warning that the aggression targets not only Iran but all peoples in the region, including Turkey. “At this point, Turkey must not, under any circumstances, be used as a launching pad for these attacks,” the party stated, demanding the closure of U.S. bases on Turkish soil. “There is no room for ambiguity in the face of this barbaric aggression. Beginning with ‘but Iran…’ is to align with U.S. and Israeli aggression.”
The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) issued a comprehensive condemnation, framing the attack as “a broader plan by US imperialism to try to impose, by force, its hegemonic dominance over the Middle East.” The PCP highlighted the complicity of NATO allies and specifically denounced the Portuguese government for allowing the use of Lajes Air Base in the Azores by U.S. forces. Recalling the lies used to justify the Iraq War, the PCP noted that Israel remains the only country in the region with nuclear weapons while the U.S. brandishes false pretexts against Iran.
Across the Atlantic, the Communist Party of Chile expressed its “profound concern and condemnation,” warning that the attacks “not only aggress against a country, but jeopardize the entire region and bring the world to a potentially critical situation for world peace.”
Beyond communist parties, the government of Cuba issued an official statement through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemning the attacks “in the strongest terms” as a violation of the UN Charter that sabotages diplomatic efforts. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called for ‘an immediate stop to the military actions and a return to dialogue.”
The overwhelming sentiment is that a call for an immediate halt to the aggression is needed, including a defense of Iran’s sovereignty, as well as a sharp warning that U.S.-Israeli militarism is the primary threat to peace in the Middle East and indeed the entire world.
This article includes reporting from Morning Star, People’s World, and Socialist Voice.
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