The Unstable State of the Theocratic Regime has Become Irreversible!

(Translated Excerpts from the Editorial of Nameh Mardom, issue no. 1187, published Monday 31 July 2023)

The Unstable State of the Theocratic Regime has Become Irreversible!

Any informed and fair observer who merely glances at the statements made by the [Islamic Republic] regime’s leaders, Iran’s economic situation, the living standards of most of the people there, and the daily protests, will undoubtedly come upon two basic realities vis-à-vis Iranian society and its current condition.  On the one hand, the spread of inequality and poverty has placed a wide range of different classes and strata under tremendous pressure – to the extent that most people today simply do not believe the government’s claims, promises, and official statistics about a supposed improvement in conditions, and angrily refute such suggestions or openly mock them.  On the other hand, it is clear that the Islamist regime refuses to make, or is incapable of making, any serious fundamental changes to lessen the economic misery and improve the livelihoods of the people. Thus, it remains completely unable to positively influence public opinion about the “regime” as a whole.

Khamenei’s [“supreme leader”] recent speeches to divert attention from domestic problems towards foreign and international issues, such as taking advantage of peoples’ religious sensitivities by issuing a death sentence [in absentia] for the perpetrators of the recent Koran burnings in Sweden or the recent much talked-up continent-hopping tour of the [criminal] president, have not succeeded in improving the relationship between the Iranian people and the regime.  Iranian workers and toiling people hunger for a decent life as opposed to the regime’s false pretences and empty promises.

It is precisely owing to this insurmountable contradiction that our Party emphasises that, following the recent popular protests under the banner of “Woman, Life, Freedom”, the majority of the population – and, by extension, the theocratic regime – have  entered a new situation whereby the regime has been knocked off-balance and is living in perpetual fear of the re-flaring of worker, civil and social, and – inevitably – political unrest.

The leadership of the theocratic regime – with the “Representative of God on Earth” [“supreme leader”] at its head – have used all their trickery and religious subterfuge to try and prize the dictatorial regime from its current mire.  However, this has been to no avail and these ploys have not led anywhere.  The working people of Iran want a decent life, peace, and their human dignity.  Religious polemic, sermons, and threats no longer work…  The fight for freedom and social justice continues!

The theocratic regime is no longer capable of brainwashing the public or convincing public opinion of the necessity of “safeguarding the regime” along with empty slogans pertaining to creating stability and preserving national interests or even safeguarding Islam.  The imperialist powers are also fully aware of the Islamic Republic’s unsteady footing within the country – as well as its desperate efforts to “safeguard the regime” by auctioning-off the national interests.  Thus, they are only too happy to exploit the weakness of the regime for their own benefit and against the national interests of our country.

The fact remains that the entire Islamic Republic regime, its officialdom, and especially the main axis of the ruling dictatorship, i.e. the “supreme leader”, are utterly discredited in the eyes of the Iranian people.  Most of the population legitimately consider the destructive and reactionary end-result of the imposition of “Political Islam”, its corrupt and unjust political economy, and the malign interference of religion in the affairs of state, to be the main cause of the current multifaceted crises – which include the imperilling of Iran’s national sovereignty.  Inside the country, the Islamist regime is so unstable and so widely discredited in public opinion that its high-ranking officials openly refer to the volatile situation and popular discontent in their meetings as “sensitive conditions” and “a sense of danger”.  [This would have been unthinkable in the Islamic Republic even just a short time ago.]

 It is clear that the general situation in the country is now critical and the living standards of most people have fallen to the point of representing a dangerous retrogressive situation.  The hugely negative effect of environmental destruction and the very real implications posed by the climate crisis [to which Iran is acutely vulnerable] also now compounds this situation.  According to a recent report by the United Nations, the environment on the planet will soon enter an acute irreversible stage of degradation.  Despite this, the unpopular government of [criminal] Raisi, with the blessing of Khamenei, is accelerating further deregulation – including eliminating public supervision – in order to intensify exploitation of workers and the environment in Iran.

There is increasing evidence indicating that the theocratic regime, its security experts, and crisis management think tanks, are intensifying their efforts as they know the regime will again be confronted with crushing waves of protests.

Therefore, given the sensitive situation of the country and especially the irreversibly unstable state of the theocratic regime, it is essential for the left and progressive national forces, through expert evaluation of the current situation as well as serious and professional political work, to find effective means to neutralise the regime’s security-propaganda ploys.  In our opinion, collaborative consultation and joint efforts – ultimately with the aim of organising a united front of all national freedom-loving and justice-seeking forces in Iran under a common action plan – is the most effective tool [and logical next step in our movement].  This way, through mobilisation and organising a popular movement, the balance of social forces can be changed against the ruling dictatorship and, finally, once and for all, this unpopular regime can be overcome.

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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