Statement of the Tudeh Party of Iran:

The catastrophic playing with fireby imperialism and reactionary forces in the Middle East, and its perils for the people of the region and world peace…

According to world news reports, the Islamic Republic regime [of Iran] set off a new phase in the escalation of dangerous tensions in the region last night by launching hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel. This attack by the theocratic regime follows the Israeli regime's criminal assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the killing of several IRGC commanders and military advisers in Syria. This could lead to counterattacks by the racist Israeli government, creating a very dangerous and grim situation in the Middle East. 

In recent months, the policies of global imperialism led by the US imperialism in the region have increasingly placed the Middle East in the quagmireof the risk of a widespread military confrontation which might extend the war to Iran's soil, all the while unjustifiably defending the "crimes against humanity" policies of the Netanyahu government, which have led to the massacre of over 33,000 Palestinians, including more than 11,000 children. The expansion of the US military presence in the region and the announcement of the direct participation of the US naval fleet and the air forces of Britain and France in destroying Iranian drones indicate a dangerous policy pursued jointly by imperialism and local reactionary forces in the region. 

The firing of three hundred drones and missiles by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which would take hours to reach Israel, allowing Israeli defence forces and its local allies to shoot them all down, undoubtedly is not considered a surprise attack to seriously damage Israel's military infrastructure. Instead, this attack should be assessed as a manoeuvre by the [Iranian] regime to show off its power in the region, especially to its allies. This missile attack resembles Iran's missile strike on the "Ain al-Assad" US bases in Anbar province, Iraq, after the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, where Iran had informed US forces of the ensuing attack beforehand. According to published reports, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Iranian regime's Foreign Minister, had sent a message to the US government regarding the retaliatory actions of the Islamic Republic during his visit to Muscat, the capital of Oman and had asked the US not to take any retaliatory action in response. 

Mohammad Baqeri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, stated that the attack on Israel “has achieved its goals and the operation is over from our standpoint”. Baqeri told Iran's IRIB "News Network"that if Israel attacks Iran or Iranian military facilities in the region, “our next operation will be much larger”. 

Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defence Minister, also stated in a video message: “Together with the United States and our other allies, we have succeeded in defending the territory of Israel. Very little damage was inflicted... The campaign is not over yet. We must remain vigilant…” 

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, condemned Iran's missile attacks and called for both sides to refrain from escalating hostilities that could lead to widespread military confrontation in the region. 

What we are witnessing these days in the Middle East is a dangerous game of a massive inferno of war played by imperialist states, the criminal and apartheid state of Israel, and the anti-people Islamic regime in Iran the consequence of which could be catastrophic for the people of the region and Iran. The theocratic regime, which is increasingly plunged intoa political and economic crisis and,explicitly ordered by the Supreme Leader, has intensified the campaign of repression and assault on the rights of women and working people in recent weeks aims to temporarily overcome the obstacles in the way of its survival by taking advantage of the escalating tensions in the region and external threats, which hasplaced the country in a peculiarstate. 

The situation of Netanyahu's apartheid regime is indeed similar to that of Iran's bankrupt regime. It is a government in deep political and economic crisis, with a prime minister who is being prosecuted by Israeli courts for corruption and theft.The continuation of the war is one of the ways for Netanyahu and his allies to remain in power. The Israeli government also aims to distract the world public opinion from the appalling humanitarian catastrophe it has created in Gaza and to silence the voices of the global movement advocating the rights of the Palestinian people and world peace. Another important point to note is the presidential and parliamentary elections in the United States and Britain in the coming months when military conflicts have always been exploited by reactionary forces and warmongers to deceive public opinion. 

Following the drone and missile attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the possibility of retaliatory strikes by the Netanyahu government on Iran, the threat of escalating war and bloodshed in Iran and the region is greater than ever. The intensification and expansion of military conflicts in the region will only serve the strategic policies of global imperialism to impose its totalhegemony over the region and will not serve the national interests of either nation trapped in the grips of religious and anti-people governments. The people of Iran, along with all peace-loving forces worldwide, are calling for an end to all regional wars, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. 

The Tudeh Party of Iran believes that in these susceptible and dangerous conditions in the Middle East, the efforts of all patriotic and peace-loving forces in Iran and the region should be directed towards ending these tensions, preventing the risk of war, putting an end to Israel's criminal attacks on Gaza, recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people, and moving towards achieving a lasting peace.

"No to war, yes to peace."

The Tudeh Party of Iran

14 April 2024 

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For the statements of the Tudeh Party of Iran and its analysis of major developments in Iran Please visit:    www.tudehpartyiran.org