Iran: Authoritarianism or Liberalism?

29-06-2025: The US Empire is locked on to a war of regime change on the Islamic Republic of Iran, via the proxy of the Israeli state. US imperialism today is not strong enough to send 3 million, or even 3 thousand, armed troops to invade Iran with its population of 92 million[1] and a geography which makes it the 17^th largest country in the world.[2] Nonetheless, it is prepared to risk World War III to bring about the overthrow of the government born out of its 1979 revolution. The stated rationale of not allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons is an obvious furphy. US imperialism’s drive is overtly and covertly aimed at regime change, no matter how much violence is involved. This is somehow “justified” with constant refrains from the corporate media in the West about how “authoritarian” the Iranian “regime” is, how supposedly repressive it is of women, towards minorities, towards workers and others. After 46 years, imperialism is supposedly set to “free” Iranians from a tyrannical and unbending monolith.

No War and Regime Change?

Thankfully, in the West it appears to be a universal position amongst the left that there should not be a war on Iran, and that working people should mobilise to prevent it. Yet at the same time, many left parties in practice make the call for regime change even while they raise the “No War” demand. In Australia, the Socialist Alliance calls for no war on Iran, but also states that it “supports the Iranian people’s fight for democracy, including the Women, Life, Freedom movement.”[3] Someone should inform the Socialist Alliance that Israeli President Netanyahu literally invoked “Women Life Freedom” to justify the unprovoked June 13 strikes on Iran, and put it forward as the basis for “Operation Rising Lion”.[4] So the Socialist Alliance and Israeli President Netanyahu are on the same page, backing the same movement, which should lead to a pause for thought. The “Women Life Freedom” protests and riots in Iran in September 2022 were extremely violent, and over 50 Iranian security personnel lost their lives. This was on the basis of no evidence that the police had beaten, let alone killed, Mahsa Amini. The incident was, however, used a pretext for the triggering of pro-Western anti-government elements within Iran to launch a determined bid to topple the government with the backing of Washington.[5]

Socialist Alternative correctly point out that Iran has been demonised ever since the popular revolution in 1979 overthrew the US backed monarchy, headed by the Shah. The Iranian monarchy at that time was indeed a “torture state” which the US and British ruling classes were fine with as long as it did their bidding. Socialist Alternative also correctly draw the parallel between the lies of US imperialism about Iraq’s non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” in 2003, and the false allegations of nuclear weapons being built in Iran today. Yet they also describe the Iranian “regime” as “despotic”, and one which workers therefore need to overthrow.[6] Solidarity recognise that the US ruling class has never forgiven Iran for the overthrow of the Shah, arguably its most loyal servant.[7] Yet both Solidarity and Socialist Alternative were vociferous in backing the dirty war on Syria, from 2011 onwards. The overthrow of Syria in December 2024, more than other causes, enabled the war on Iran today.

The Revolutionary Communist Organisation (RCO) take the cake with hysterical denunciations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is overwhelmingly supported by its people domestically despite economic problems. The RCO claims that Iran is led by a “reactionary clerical caste that has entrenched a brutal anti-communist, anti-woman and anti-worker apparatus”.[8] The CIA would certainly agree with the latter two! Often, we find that those who levy the loudest accusations of “anti-communism” often display such tendencies, despite themselves. The RCO also calls for a “fight” against leftists who barrack for “bourgeois anti-imperialists” such as the Axis of Resistance. It seems strange to brand impoverished Yemenis assisting the Ansar Allah movement defend itself against US and British bombing raids as “bourgeois”. Moreover, one could say that the entirety of the enormous US military build up in the Middle East is squarely aimed at the Axis of Resistance. To the extent that this Axis of Resistance combats US imperialism by defending the very land they stand on, working people should at least extend them military support.

The Spartacist League (SL) lead with headlines which are anti-imperialist in themselves. They correctly call on working people to “Stand with Iran and Palestine!”[9] and also to “Defend Iran!”[10]. This is to be welcomed as far as it goes. But in fact, the SL has called for regime change in Iran for 46 years. Right now, they adopt the right slogans and help build a movement against a war on Iran. Yet in their own manner, they have amply contributed to the demonisation of Iran which the corporate media of the West has pumped out for decades. What is more, the SL did not offer Syria any backing when it faced the wrath of the whole of Western imperialism from 2011 onwards, when Al Qaeda and ISIS mercenaries were sent in to wreak the most murderous havoc imaginable. True, the SL did not mouth backing for the Western armed cutthroats, but it did welcome the overthrow of Syria in December 2024. This should bring their current correct sounding anti-war demands into sharp relief.

Iran today

Are women “oppressed” in today’s Iran? This is not straightforward. The law mandating a veil for women has been considerably eased since the “Women Life Freedom” riots in 2022. The Islamic Republic has recognised that a law on compulsory veiling is too easily used by nefarious actors in the West to stir dangerous chaos aimed at its overthrow. Today, many women in Iran are not questioned for appearing in public with their hair uncovered.[11] Since 1979, it can scarcely be denied that the position of women in society has improved dramatically. Prior to the revolution, only 17% of women in rural areas were literate – but this grew to 73% by 2017. By 2005, 65% of Iranian university students were women. By 2020, the overall literacy rate of women in Iran was 85.5%, which was in fact higher than men at 80.8%.[12] The life expectancy of women in Iran has also increased markedly, from 63 years in 1991 to over 76 years in 2018.[13] While some women in Iran demand the right to go without the veil, other women in Iran prefer that the government maintains the law enforcing the veil. Iran’s revolution did take place under Islamic leadership, but it was overwhelmingly backed by the Iranian masses including its women. Western ideas about the status of women are not a direct fit inside Iran.

Iran’s political system is a combination of an elected parliament (Majlis) consisting of 290 members, the President and the Assembly of Experts. On top of this establishment is the unelected 12 member Guardian Council, the Cabinet and the Supreme Leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. Only Ruhollah Khomeini and Khamanei have held this post since 1979. Iran’s constitution outlines that laws and regulations in the country must be based on Islamic ideology, which defines Iran as an Islamic Republic with a political order based on Shia Islam.[14] Despite a theocracy sitting on top of an elected parliament, there is wide, ongoing and highly contested political debate within Iranian society on all issues. During the 2024 Presidential election, six candidates ran for office, and each of them took part in five televised debates during the campaign.[15] Needless to say, in the US and many Western countries with a two-party system, open debate between all candidates rarely occurs. As it happened, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected President as a known moderate who favoured more dialogue and negotiations with the West. This outcome may haunt Iran today, but this was the result of their election.

Even Iran’s foes admit that around 70% of the Iranian economy is effectively state owned, and even that the total budget for state owned companies equals the value of Tehran’s stock exchange.[16] Also, the role of the bonyads in Iran’s economy is substantial. A bonyad is a quasi-governmental institution, military, paramilitary or religious – which is set up to perform charitable activities on behalf of the Islamic Republic. In 2013, it was estimated that 120 bonyad-controlled firms account for over half of Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). One in four companies traded on the Tehran Stock Exchange is directly controlled by a bonyad.[17] Ultimately, this is one of the real reasons for the US led regime change war today. Iran’s economy is off limits to Western capitalist plunder and has been since 1979. It was not just that Iran broke from the imperialist yoke. It subsequently set up an economy that, in many areas, does not run primarily on the basis of private profit for private gain. While Iran’s economy is not socialist per se, one could make a case that it is more socialist than it is capitalist.

Stand with Iran

The Black People’s Union (BPU) issued a statement of solidarity with Iran which skewers Western liberals and unnamed “socialist” parties for equivocating with their stances on Iran under siege, for saying no war while claiming that “both sides” are equally bad.[18] We can certainly agree with the sentiment. Given the levels of censorship and lack of elementary democratic rights in the imperial Western states, Europe and Australia currently, the Islamic Republic of Iran is a liberal democracy by comparison – which is hugely ironic. While unapologetically standing with Iran, it should be recognised that the Iranian leadership has consciously cultivated alliances in the Middle East which are also anti-imperialist, but based on Shia Islam – Hezbollah in Lebanon and Ansar Allah in Yemen for example. This is perhaps a substitute for a pro-working class alliance which a Marxist leadership would pursue. This alliance has reaped dividends, no doubt, but it also has its limitations.

Iran is being targeted by imperialism and its Israeli proxy for its defence of Palestine, for its 1979 revolution, for its largely nationalised economy, for its stance with the Global South, for its central role in Eurasia, and for being a strong pillar of the non-imperialist BRICS bloc (now with 20 member and partner states) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). It is being targeted for defending itself against US and European imperialism for 46 years and for resisting the ongoing threats and violence from the Zionist Israeli state. It is being targeted for its strong allliances with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is NOT being targeted for a nuclear weapons program – which does not exist. All governments and all states are authoritarian, but currently Iran is much less authoritarian than the Western imperialist states waging war against it! While the building of Leninist vanguard parties throughout the Middle East remains a key task, today workers must stand with Iran against capitalist imperialism which is gambling its continued existence on provoking a likely World War III. Working people must disarm Washington, London, Brussels and Canberra to prevent this nightmare. A better future for the Global South and workers in the global north is beckoning.

Workers League

www.redfireonline.com

E: workersleague@protonmail.com

[1] www.worldometers.info/world-population/iran-population/ (25-06-2025)

[2] www.adventureiran.com/iran-country-size-and-borders-length/ (25-06-2025)

[3] www.greenleft.org.au/content/no-war-iran-break-us-alliance (25-06-2025)

[4] www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-to-iranian-people-we-hope-our-operation-will-clear-path-to-your-freedom/ (25-06-2025)

[5] www.redfireonline.com/2022/09/25/iran-western-sabotage-in-the-name-of-womens-rights/ (25-06-2025)

[6] www.redflag.org.au/article/rogue-empire (25-06-2025)

[7] www.solidarity.net.au/palestine/israel-launches-bloody-assault-on-iran-with-us-backing/ (25-06-2025)

[8] www.partisanmagazine.org/2025/06/18/no-war-with-iran/ (25-06-2025)

[9] www.iclfi.org/pubs/wv/1185/iran (25-06-2025)