Nine communist and worker parties from the Middle East have issued the following joint statement expressing their concern about the recent developments in the Persian Gulf, which pose significant threats to world peace. The parties signing the statement were: AKEL (Cyprus), Tudeh Party of Iran, Communist Party of Kurdistan-Iraq, Communist Party of Israel, Jordanian Communist Party, Lebanese Communist Party, Palestinian Communist Party, Syrian Communist Party (Unified) and Communist Party of Turkey.

The most recent actions and pronouncements by the US administration clearly indicate that it intends to deploy every tool at its disposal to coerce the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to submit to its hegemonic designs in the region.

We recall the decision of the Trump administration in May 2018 – in complete contravention of world public opinion – to take the USA out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) agreement with Iran. This decision, taken despite global appeals, including by the UN, has significantly increased tension in the region and has raised the threat of a new devastating war in the Middle East.

We have been concerned about the imposition of economic, banking and monetary sanctions on Iran, which have undermined its economy and resulted in the widespread closure of factories, an economic free-fall, and an increase in unemployment and poverty.

We communist and workers parties strongly condemn the US administration and its hawkish representatives such as Mike Pompeo and John Bolton for initiating and augmenting tension by means of threats of military action against Iran, as well as the use of economic sanctions to starve the people of Iran into submission. We further believe that these actions are having a disastrous impact upon the continuing struggle of the Iranian people for peace, sovereignty and social justice, as well as for human and democratic rights.

The aim of US policy regarding Iran is to secure the undisputed domination of US imperialism and its allies in the region. The actions and policies of the US administration on Iran have been and continue to be coordinated with those of the governments of Israel and Saudi Arabia.

We are concerned that if the current escalation of aggression by the US and its allies in the Middle East is not curtailed and reversed, the potential for a new and disastrous war, with unpredictable consequences for peace and stability in the region and globally, is real and enormous.

The peace-loving forces of the world must work in unison to promote détente and denounce foreign intervention in Iran’s domestic affairs.

The future of Iran and its political system is a matter that should be determined by the Iranian people and them alone. We communist and workers parties, together with all progressive forces in Iran, reject foreign intervention in their country under any pretext.

We call on all forces campaigning for peace and disarmament globally to condemn the US administration and its Saudi and Israeli allies’ politics of confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in contravention of the UN Charter.

We say No to Sanctions and No to War on Iran.