Call of the (Expanded) Meeting of the Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran to All National and Freedom-Loving Forces of the Country On the Formation of a Peace Committee and the Establishment of an Immediate Ceasefire and Lasting Peace

Dear compatriots, national and freedom-loving forces of the country,

The war ignited by U.S. imperialism and the criminal government of Israel is a horrific catastrophe that has placed the existence and territorial integrity of our homeland in grave danger. Thousands killed and wounded, the destruction of the country’s productive infrastructure, and the blow dealt by this devastating war to the popular movement—which had posed a serious challenge to the survival of the regime  of Velayat-e Faqih—are among the immense hardships this war has imposed on our people and our country.

For this reason, the (expanded) meeting of the Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran has concluded that under the current critical conditions, one of the most important tasks facing all progressive and freedom-loving forces in the country is to strive to establish a broad peace movement, both inside and outside the country, in order to immediately halt this imposed war on our homeland. For the reactionary rulers, war is a “blessing” that allows them to cover up the crisis of legitimacy that emerged after the bloody suppression and killing of people driven to desperation by economic hardship, inequality, and deep class divisions. Under wartime conditions,  reactionary rulers attempt to silence all dissent while continuing their anti-people policies and maintaining their grip on power. In recent days, we have witnessed this process through the arrest of hundreds of civil activists and dissidents following threats by Ejei (head of the judiciary), Radan (commander of the national police), and other leaders of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the regime.

The commanders of the IRGC, who appear to constitute the main core of political decision-making in the country at present, are—much like during the Iran–Iraq War, especially after the liberation of Khorramshahr—pursuing the destructive policy of “war, war, until victory,” which had catastrophic consequences for our country and ultimately ended with Khomeini’s acceptance of the “poisoned chalice.” In contrast to this destructive approach, responding positively to reported diplomatic initiatives by several Persian Gulf countries could be a first step toward ending this destructive war.

The experience of the past nearly three weeks shows that the Islamic Republic is neither capable of defending the country and its infrastructure nor of protecting the lives of our compatriots, who are forced to endure continuous and inhumane U.S. and Israeli bombardments day and night under extremely difficult conditions. Over all these years, even adequate shelters to protect people from such military attacks have not been built.

Dear compatriots, national and freedom-loving forces of the country,

In recent decades, we have witnessed the emergence of powerful peace movements within the country, led by progressive and freedom-loving forces—especially courageous and combatant  women. Supporting and rebuilding this movement under current difficult conditions is an urgent task. Members of the Tudeh Party of Iran stand ready to contribute all their capacities alongside other peace-seeking forces in the country. Beyond Iran’s borders as well, as we have reported in recent days, the powerful global peace movement, along with labour and communist movements and trade unions, stands in solidarity with the people of Iran and is prepared to play an active role in opposing U.S. imperialism and the criminal government of Netanyahu.

We believe that by immediately forming an international committee to establish and safeguard peace and to end this destructive war—with the participation of representatives of Iran’s national and freedom-loving forces, as well as prominent figures from the global peace movement and the international labour and communist movements—it is possible to mobilize global public opinion and intensify pressure on warmongers and pro-war political forces. The first step toward achieving this goal could be a joint meeting of all progressive, peace-loving, and freedom-seeking forces in the country to plan the advancement of such a critical initiative.

(Expanded) Meeting of the Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran
March 17, 2026 (27 Esfand 1404)