Contribution of the Tudeh Party of Iran to the 22nd IMCWP

27-29 October 2022- Havana, Cuba

Theme: "Solidarity with Cuba and all the struggling peoples of the world.  United we are stronger in the anti-imperialist struggle; together with social and popular movements, in the face of capitalism and its policies, the threat of fascism and war; in defence of peace, the environment, workers' rights, solidarity and socialism."

Dear Comrades, 

I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Tudeh Party of Iran, to thank the fraternal Cuban Communist Party for hosting this important gathering of the communists of the world in a land where socialism is currently beingbuilt under the leadership of the Communist Party.  Our meeting in Havana is also the first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic.  And where is a more appropriate place than Cuba - where significant effort was put in controlling the pandemic not only at home, but abroad too? 

The 22nd IMCWP is taking place amidst challenging situations where humanity is not only confronted with a deep crisis of capitalism lingering since 2008, but the possibility of a global military conflict is looming large following the Russian attack on Ukraine - an event which has played into the hands of imperialism and its plans in expanding NATO in Europe.

The World Balance of Forces

Dear Comrades, 

In a few days' time, the world will mark the 105th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, which changed the world and proved for the first time in practice that there is a viable alternative to capitalism.  Despite the setbacks that the communist and working-class movements suffered following the collapse of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc governments, interpreted by capitalist theoreticians as the "end of history", the ideals of Marx, Engels, and Lenin for a better world free from exploitation are again popular and pursued in the 21st century, thirty years later. 

In our view, the global balance of forces is shifting against US hegemony as it cannot shore up the 'international order' in its favour.  This gradual shift is also due to China's significant economic development and technological advancement.  To counter this, the US and its key European allies are pushing the world towards a dangerous "new cold war" targeting China, even while China actively refrains from any aggressive posturing and advocates peace and cooperation.  Any miscalculation, as we are currently witnessing in Ukraine, could easily escalate a so-called "cold war" to a "hot war" and all-out military conflict, which would be disastrous for humanity.

Solidarity with Cuba is essential!

Dear Comrades, 

The US has proved itself more than willing to weaponise its global financial power against any country or nation in pursuit of its imperialist interests and policies - notably against Cuba and Venezuela, but also against Iran.  It is only the progressive forces that are opposing such vile and inhuman tactics, while the so-called "international community", dominated by the neo-conservatives, liberal democrats, and social democrats in the advanced capitalist states, along with the corporate media, remain either silent or even tacitly supportive of them. 

The US continues to portray the Cuban Revolution, its ideals, and its achievements as representing a malevolent threat in the Americas.  The inhuman embargo and sanctions against Cuba, which have been in place for 62 years, are aimed at frustrating Cuba's attempts to continue building socialism.  Successive US administrations have openly threatened Cuba's right to determine its own future.  The Biden administration is continuing the same foreign policy as his predecessor, who attempted to foment internal unrest in Cuba with the aim of overthrowing the socialist government. 

The Tudeh Party of Iran has always been a staunch supporter of the Cuban Revolution and its lofty aims of building socialism, and will remain so, along with the Cuban people and the Communist Party of Cuba. 

The Tudeh Party of Iran condemns the US-led imperialism'sinterventionist and provocative policies in Cuba and elsewhere. 

The Tudeh Party of Iran, along with all progressive people and forces around the world, calls for the unconditional lifting of all US sanctions on Cuba.  An overwhelming majority of states in the world have formally and repeatedly called in the UN General Assembly for an end to the US sanctions on Cuba.  Only the US government and Israel's racist government have always voted against it. 

In Iran, people are fighting for freedom, dignity, peace,and justice

Dear Comrades, 

During the last few weeks, Iran has experienced another mass uprising across all of its 31 provinces in many towns and cities, with protesters demanding basic human and democratic rights, as well as social justice. They are now clearly calling for an end to the ruling theocratic dictatorship. 

This mass protest is the fourth large-scale and sustained uprising in the last 12 years.  It clearly shows that the ruling dictatorship and its reactionary theocratic tenets are deeply and widely rejected by the people of Iran, with the women, students, and youth at the forefront of the struggle. 

The current widespread protests come on the back of two years of continued and widespread strikes by workers, teachers, and pensioners as well as demonstrations by women and students against the regime's draconian and anti-people policies which have brought about unprecedented levels of poverty for the population.

Even according to the regime's own statistics, almost 40% of the population live below the poverty line in Iran.  This is the result of decades of neo-liberal policies by the regime, prescribed and encouraged by the IMF and World Bank, including unchecked privatisation, bankruptcy of many small to medium sized enterprises, sky-high unemployment, and the brutal eroding of workers' rights and protections.  The class interests of the regime are firmly and inextricably aligned with the interests of the corrupt and parasitic big bourgeoisie which controls the economic and political direction of the country. 

The continuous uprising of the working people of Iran - particularly the women, youth, students, and (in recent days) contract workers in the southern oilfields - poses a significant challenge to the ruling regime.  Our Party recognises that imperialist forces and their reactionary regional allies - particularly the Saudi regime and the racist Israeli government - see the current upheaval as an opportunity to interfere in Iran's affairs and buttress anti-democratic forces, such as the remnants of the ousted Shah’s regime and the Mojahedin-e Khalgh Organisation (MKO) based in Albania and funded by the Saudis. 

We have made it very clear that our Party will stand against any imperialist intervention in Iran. We have called upon all Iranian progressive and left forces to join in an anti-dictatorial front for the establishment of a national democratic government resolved to establish freedom, independence, and social justice in Iran.

Dear Comrades, 

We must stress that despite the Iranian regime's anti-imperialist rhetoric and its extra-territorial manoeuvrings in the region, beneath the surface the Islamic Republic has been a faithful aid to imperialist interests.  This ranges from its support for the Contras in Nicaragua, and secret relationship with the US and Apartheid South Africa during the 1980s, through to its active and duplicitous participation in the US' destabilisation and overthrow of the People's Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the civil war in Tajikistan, the subsequent invasions and occupations of both Afghanistan and Iraq, and its continued support for some of the most reactionary forces in the region (including the Taliban).  And this is a mere snapshot…  So much for its supposed anti-imperialist record! 

The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is driven solely by the survival instinct of the theocratic regime.  For that reason, contrary to its own propaganda, not only will the regime's leadership reach an accord with the US (as it has in the past), but it will continue to collaborate with US-led imperialism's interests in the region.  The regime's foreign policies are adventurist and dangerous and neither represent nor serve the interests of the Iranian people one iota!

Dear Comrades, 

The 7th Congress of the Tudeh Party of Iran successfully convened in June 2022.  The key policy documents, approved at the Congress, are based on preparing the ground, under the current concrete circumstances, for a National Democratic Revolution (NDR), as the only means at this time by which to transition Iran from the clutches of the dictatorship to a stage whereby the much-needed fundamental transformations can be realised by and for the people, ultimately laying the ground for the building of socialism in Iran.  The domination of the theocratic regime and Political Islam, since the setbackof the popular 1979 Revolution in early 1980s, has been the obstacleto the much-needed fundamental transformations in Iran in order to ensure peace and sovereignty; human and democratic rights and freedoms; and social justice.  What has in fact transpired in Iran over the last 40 years is the betrayal and defeat of the 1979 Revolution’s core tenets and objectives, most of which remain as pertinent today as they did back then.  Experience has taught us that NDR is considered a threat towards US imperialism and its domination.  Therefore, from this perspective, we consider the struggle against imperialism as an important element in safeguarding the preparation and implementation of NDR and indeed in stabilising its longer-term gains. 

In this struggle, it is paramount that we, the communists, regain the confidence of working people as well as a spectrum of other social strata in order to mobilise a United Popular Front.  This can only be achieved by fusing the demands for the democratic and human rights with fundamental changes to improve socio-economic conditions for the majority of the people. 

Without the aforementioned broad United Popular Front, the forces of reaction will gain influence and then political power, as was the case in 1979 in Iran.  

The rise of ultra-right and fascistic politics has been apparent in several countries, including the US, over the last few years.  This is the same US that in the name of ‘democracy’ has inflicted six decades of sanctions upon Cuba and staged countless coups to subvert the will of people in their own countries elsewhere. 

Another consequence of not being able to construct a broad United Popular Front against local reactionary regimes and imperialism is the inability to defend the wider world peace, global environment, and indeed humanity.  As the consequences of the tragic events in the Russia-Ukraine war have shown, the world has lurched towards a rapid militarisation led by the US and NATO, with the prospects of a worse conflict, even nuclear war, being openly touted by both sides. 

Ultimately, the roots of the key crises currently faced by humanity stem from capitalism. 

Capitalism is in a deep prolonged crisis, and we can see extreme right-wing forces in conjunction with militarist tendencies emerging once more.  This is a dangerous situation for humanity while, at the same time, being an opportunity for communists and other progressive forces to confront ‘capitalism and its policies, the threat of fascism and war’ and to fight ‘in defence of peace, the environment, workers’ rights, solidarity and socialism’.  It is incumbent upon us that we do not retreat or shy away from this opportunity and our responsibilities in this respect. 

Not only does capitalism lack any solution to the dangerous crises currently facing humanity, it is itself a root cause of these problems.  We all, of course, realise that advancing to socialism is a possible but nevertheless complex process that will vary from nation to nation, also depending on the stage of social and economic development.  However, it is a necessary and vital change that must take place for the sake of humanity and our planet.

We salute all of you in your struggle for peace, progress, and socialism...  May victory be yours! 

Long live International Solidarity! 

With fraternal greetings 

The Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran