STATEMENT OF OPCIÓN MARXISTA INTERNACIONAL
March 1, 2026
We categorically reject the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as the terrorist action through which its “Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other members of the Persian nation’s government were assassinated.
This aggressive military offensive, launched on February 28, 2026, has as its declared objective—according to Washington and Tel Aviv—the provocation of regime change in Iran, through the assassination of its rulers and the hypocritical call upon the population to “take control of their government” once the operation has concluded.
In practice, this constitutes a call for a sector of the Iranian bourgeoisie to assume power and place itself at the service of the interests of the United States and Zionism, in an attempt to revive the era of the dictatorship of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, overthrown by the powerful 1979 Revolution.
This war does not seek to assist or benefit the Iranian people, nor the peoples of the region. It responds exclusively to the geopolitical and economic interests of the United States and Zionism. Washington seeks to fully subordinate Iran to its sphere of control, in a manner similar to the tutelage it currently exercises over Venezuela, where it intervenes decisively in internal affairs and where major decisions are now effectively taken from the White House.
Consequently, workers and the broader population must not be misled or fall into the trap woven by those responsible for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and by the occupiers and dispossessors of Palestinian territory. Trump and Netanyahu seek to exploit the discontent and indignation of the working class and the population toward their own government in order to impose their imperial interests, within the framework of a global expansionist and colonizing offensive and their bitter dispute for a new division of oil, other resources, and spheres of influence with Europe, Russia, and China.
The history of the United States, the recent genocide in Gaza, the siege in the West Bank, and the persecution and deportation of immigrant workers and their families within U.S. territory itself, are recent manifestations of this policy.
Under these circumstances, Iran has the full right to defend itself by all means at its disposal, as a nation attacked by the greatest power in the world system, backed by Israel—its aircraft carrier in the region—which possesses one of the most powerful armed forces in the world, including nuclear weapons.
We reiterate that the decision regarding Iran’s future must be made exclusively by its own population, free from external interference or tutelage.
It should be noted that the country was already experiencing a process of mobilization through recent, massive, and historic protests against the regime of the ayatollahs—the most significant in 47 years—which, despite brutal repression, began to reactivate with student demonstrations across various university campuses, including Sharif University of Technology in Tehran. This process, which threatened to destabilize the regime through mass action, constitutes another of the motives behind the current war.
The present offensive follows earlier bombings carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces in June of last year against three Iranian nuclear facilities, in the midst of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza at the hands of Zionist occupation forces.
Regrettably, beyond its ostensibly anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist rhetoric, the regime of the Islamic Republic did not respond to that aggression with the necessary firmness and forcefulness. It did not intervene directly to halt the genocide, arguing the need to avoid a regional war. Such vacillation emboldened imperialism, the consequences of which are now evident. The United States tested the regime’s resolve.
Our position in defense of the Iranian nation and in categorical rejection of the imperialist-Zionist attack does not, in any way, imply political support for the dictatorial regime of the ayatollahs, which bears responsibility for the violent repression of the legitimate protests of the Iranian people, the deaths of thousands of demonstrators, and the brutal crackdown unleashed following the death in custody of the young woman Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Nevertheless, this attack demands that the Arab peoples and the peoples of the world—including those of Latin America—mobilize to call upon their governments to defend Iran’s national sovereignty and that of the entire region, rejecting military escalation and the colonizing advance of the United States.
The military attack and the global offensive driven by the Trump administration require from governments that identify as “left-wing,” and from democratic, anti-imperialist, trade union, and popular organizations in Latin America, a firm and consistent response—one that goes beyond formal declarations or speeches and is translated into concrete mobilizing actions.
International mobilization and solidarity are indispensable to halt imperial aggression and safeguard the sovereignty of peoples.
Although these events and this war may appear distant or unrelated, they indirectly affect and harm the peoples and workers of our countries and of the world. Therefore, to defend Iran’s national sovereignty is to defend the national sovereignty of Colombia, Venezuela, and all of Latin America against any economic, political, or military attack or attempt at external intervention.
FOR THE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLES:
STOP THE UNITED STATES–ISRAEL MILITARY ATTACKS AGAINST IRAN!
