10-23-07, 4:45 pm

We the undersigned parties express our grave concern with the heightening tensions in the Persian Gulf region emanating from the US militaristic and hegemonic stance in its conflict with Iran (including Bush’s latest statement on September 12th 2007). The US led pressures against Iran on the question of Iran’s expressed wish to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, is only a cover for the US attempts to secure US control over an area of the Middle East that is best situated to control the production and export of energy resources from this part of the world. We also express our concern over the provocative and unacceptable statements from the Iranian president. These statements have provided the US and its allies, in particular the Israeli government, with the excuse to continue their provocations against Iran. The Iranian regime is exploiting the current situation to extend its suppression of progressive forces, trade unions, youth and student movements as well as women’s movements.

We express our full solidarity with the people and progressive forces of Iran, with trade unions, women, youth and student movements that are campaigning for peace, democracy and social progress. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners particularly the trade unionist leaders, student movement activists and women’s right campaigners who have been arrested and tortured in recent months. We strongly and unconditionally express our total opposition to any military attack or intervention against Iran by the US, the EU or Israel. We resolve to support all genuine efforts directed at the resolution of the current differences between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran through peaceful and diplomatic means. We call for the elimination of all nuclear weapons in the Middle East, strict observance of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty and declaring the region a nuclear weapons free zone. The future direction of developments in Iran should be decided only by the people of Iran and no one else.

Supported by:

Tudeh Party of Iran Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus (AKEL Communist Party of France Communist Party of Greece DKP (Germany) Communist Party of Portugal Communist Party of the Russian Federation Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (Czech Republic) Hungarian Workers Communist Party Communist Party of Finland Communist Party of Italy - Refoundation Party of Italian Communists Communist Party of Spain Communist Party of Sweden Communist Party of Britain The Swiss Party of Labour Communist Party of Ireland Communist Party of Norway Communist Party of Turkey European Left Party Die Linke (The Left Party) Germany SYNASPISMOS – Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology of Greece Communist Party of USA Communist Party of Canada Party of Mexican Communists Communist Party of Venezuela Communist Party of Peru Communist Party of Lebanon Communist Party of Jordan Communist Party of Syria Communist Party of Israel Communist Party of Iraq People's Party of Palestine Communist Party of Australia Communist Party of India (Marxist) South African COMMUNIST PARTY PADS Algeria Communist Party of Egypt Party of Patriotic and Democratic Labour of Tunisia MPLA Angola Independent and Labour Party of Senegal Communist Party of Guadalupe

--Published by the International Department of the Tudeh Party of Iran October 2007