Joint Statement of the Communist and Workers' Parties against Imperialist Intervention and for Solidarity with the Iranian People's Struggle!

We, the undersigned Communist and Workers' Parties which have supported the struggle of Iranian people for peace, sovereignty, human and democratic rights, social justice, and against threats of imperialist attack are watching with grave concern the current developments in the country.

We have received detailed reports, published by the fraternal Tudeh Party of Iran, regarding the circumstances surrounding the protest demonstrations that began on 28 December in Tehran. According to all reports, the brutal mass crackdown waged by the authorities of the Islamic Republic was unleashed in response to the legitimate protests of people against the catastrophic collapse of the country's national currency and the acutely deteriorating living conditions being endured by the population at large.

We note that the protests that began on 28 December in Iran, initially of the Tehran bazaar (merchants) against the collapse of the national currency, which soon spread to other cities in Iran, were about mass dissatisfaction with deep-rooted structural corruption; decades of neoliberal economic policies, which have pushed millions of Iranians into crushing poverty; suppression of democratic freedoms and rights; and decades of imperialist sanctions which have massively impacted upon the ordinary people of Iran.

We have been horrified by the scenes of brutal killings and devastation reported in the capital Tehran and other cities in Iran since 8 January, in which large numbers of people have been killed. According to Ali Khamenei, Supreme Religious Leader of the regime, thousands have been killed. Among those killed are a significant number of young people as well as members of the security forces.

The regime in Tehran has imposed a near-total shutdown of the internet in order to gain complete control and prevent the extent of violence and casualties being reported.

We are also aware that US Imperialism and the criminal government of Benjamin Netanyahu have tried in various ways to push the peaceful people's demonstrations towards violence, to use the mass protest for their own interests, and to prepare the ground for direct intervention in Iran. Imperialist-backed media have tried to promote a false discourse that the Iranian people call for the return of the monarchy and Reza Pahlavi.

We, the undersigned Communist and Workers' Parties, strongly condemn threats by the US and the Israeli criminal government of a new imperialist military attack on Iran.

We stand firmly in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people, the Tudeh Party of Iran and the country's left and progressive forces.

We stress that the future course of developments in Iran is the sole preserve of its people and must remain so.

Parties signing the Joint Statement:

1. Communist Party of Australia

2. Communist Party of Austria

3. Party of Labour Austria

4. Democratic Progressive Tribune, Bahrain

5. Communist Party of Bangladesh

6. Workers’ Party of Belgium

7. Brazilian Communist Party

8. Communist Party of Britain

9. Communist Party of Canada

10. AKEL of Cyprus

11. Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

12. Communist Party of Denmark

13. Egyptian Communist Party

14. French Communist Party

15. Communist Party of Greece (KKE)

16. Communist Party of India

17. Tudeh Party of Iran

18. Iraqi Communist Party

19. The Workers’ Party of Ireland (Official)

20. Workers Party of Ireland

21. Communist Party of India (Marxist)

22. Communist Party of Israel

23. Italian Communist Party

24. Communist Party of Mexico

25. New Communist Party of the Netherlands

26. Communist Party of Norway

27. Communist Party of Pakistan

28. Palestinian People's Party

29. Philippines Communist Party [PKP 1930]

30. Communists of Serbia

31. New Communist Party of Yugoslavia

32. Communist Party of the Workers of Spain

33. Communists of Catalonia

34. Sudanese Communist Party

35. Communist Party of Sweden

36. Swiss Communist Party

37. Syrian Communist Party

38. Syrian Communist Party (Unified)

39. Communist Party of Turkey

40. Communist Party USA

41. Communist Party of Venezuela

The Joint Statement is open for further signatures