Crisis in Iran and the Prying Eyes of Imperialism
Iran has been rocked by an economic crisis, with the toman trading at an extraordinary 146,000 to 1 USD, sparking protests. The protests which exploded on December 28 are a direct response to the devaluation of the Iranian currency, international sanctions, and the capitalist economic crisis. According to Mohammad Omidvar of the Tudeh Party of Iran, (1) it was the breaking point in a long trend of economic hardship that keeps 40 million people living below the Iranian government’s poverty line and has been met with popular protests and strikes in response. This most recent uprising was notably massive and was met with an incredibly violent response by the Iranian government, (2) resulting in 3,117 people shot dead as of now, according to Iranian bourgeois media, with tens of thousands of arrests. Many Western news sources raise the number of casualties even higher.
It didn’t take long for competing imperialist powers to begin trying to frame the narrative for their own personal gain, feigning outrage over the blood spilled while promoting the reestablishment of the monarchy in Iran, and testing the waters of direct conflict in order to do so, particularly from US President Donald Trump and their lapdog, Israel. The threats by the US for a new imperialist military attack would be a continuation of the previous bombings of Iran, the imperialist intervention in Venezuela, and the threats against Cuba, Greenland, Mexico, and Colombia. Such interventions are to be taken in the context of the aim of the US to confront its main competitors: China and Russia. The importance of Iran to competing imperialist interests are its mineral wealth, some of the world’s largest oil and gas deposits, crucial metals such as lithium and graphite, and its geostrategic position in the Strait of Hormuz.
The anti‑people policies of the government of Iran and the violence it has conducted have tempered the mass protests for now. We’ve also seen shifts in rhetoric from both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, with Donald Trump alluding to threats he supposedly made to cease state executions and thus launching an unnecessary assault, (3) and Israel promoting “defensive” rhetoric, trying to frame itself as prepared for some variety of attack. (4) A refrainment by the US from attacks is likely connected to rivalries and alliances in the region. Regardless, the clouds of war still loom.
All of this, of course, should be called into question, as Iran still stands as the largest political and economic competitor to Israel in the region, and it was only last June 13th that Israel conducted massive military strikes on the country. (5) It’s very clear that Israel’s economic ambitions lie beyond investing in the rubble and blood of its genocidal campaign in Gaza. With US firms being eager investors in this project, and the US having conducted its own bombing of Iran in the last seven months, (6) the alliance between Israel and the US continues to hold strong and seek the right opportunity to advance its own imperial interests when the time is right.
The working people of Iran are struggling. With Ayatollah Ali Khameni, we see not any sort of anti-imperialist stronghold, but the exploitation of man-by-man and we must support any truly revolutionary effort to end the suffering wrought on the Iranian people. The people of Iran are fighting for their rights against the policies of the government and capitalist state which suppresses their indignation, shoots demonstrators, and bans the activities of the Communist Party. Of course, the bourgeoisie of our country, as well as those in Europe, encourage the reestablishment of the monarchy. On the contrary, we, the communists of the US, support an independent path led by the working class towards the overthrow of not just Khameni, but all of capital in the country, and we must resist every effort by our own country to derail the struggle of the Iranian workers and people.
“Inside the Forces Driving Iran’s Nationwide Protests.” Morning Star, 2026, morningstaronline.co.uk/article/inside-forces-driving-irans-nationwide-protests. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Gambrell, Jon. “Iran Says 3,117 Killed in Recent Protests, Issuing Lower Death Toll than Human Rights Activists.” PBS News, 21 Jan. 2026, www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/world/iran-says-3117-killed-in-recent-protests-issuing-lowerdeath-toll-than-human-rights-activists. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Olmsted, Edith. “Trump Issues Chilling Warning on His Plans for Iran.” The New Republic, 21 Jan. 2026, newrepublic.com/post/205489/donald-trump-warns-iran-blown-up. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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