The rapid developments of the recent weeks in the Middle East region, and more importantly with regards to the widespread political frictions between the United States and Islamic Republic of Iran, have created a complex and dangerous situation. While bloody military conflicts and terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan have risen to new dimensions, the US has expanded its widespread propaganda assault and threats against Iran. George Bush’s remarks on Wednesday February 14th alleging Iran’s direct support of terrorist attacks in Iraq – after his Secretary of Defense presented “evidences” with regards to the Iranian Leaders’ support of terrorist forces through supply of weaponry – has profoundly concerned all the patriotic, progressive and democratic forces of Iran.

The threatening tone of George Bush in alleging that Iranian authorities have been involved in killing of 170 American personnel and military troops in Iraq in the recent years, and in addition stating that the US administration is responsible to protect the lives and security of American troops, has a clear and threatening sense. These allegations could be formulated to convince the public opinion in the US and EU and to prepare grounds for retaliation and dangerous actions against Iran. One could not help taking notice of the similarities between the events in the recent months and what happened between September 2002 and March 2003 with regards to Iraq, prior to military interventions and occupation of this county.

The “New Strategy” of the US, including expanding military operations in Iraq to overcome the full-scale crisis in this country, means that the Bush administration has ignored the proposed solutions of “Iraq Study Group”. Instead of relying on a constructive approach in dealing with Iran and Syria, as the “Iraq Study Group” had suggested, this Strategy has taken the avenue of putting strenuous pressures in order to impose the US hegemony on these countries.

Imposing sanctions by the Security Council of the UN in December of 2006, frequent visits of the US authorities to Arab nations in order to organize an anti-Iranian alliance, and the recent threatening remarks of the US authorities, they all mean that if a solution is not found to quickly reverse this process, the region will face an irreparable disaster.

In the recent months Tudeh Party of Iran has repeatedly stated that no matter what the excuse would be, it strongly opposes any military action against Iran. We believe that any military approach is against the interests of the working people of the nation, and detrimental to the peace and stability of the region and the world. The crisis in the relations between the US and Iran could not be resolved through expanding the crisis.

While we have strongly criticized pernicious and provocative policies of the [Iranian] regime in the arena of international politics and in securing the development of nuclear technology, we have also pointed out that the goal of the US allegations is in fact to secure and justify the hegemony of this county in this vulnerable regions.

The current dangerous situation calls for a coordinated, responsible and united action of all the supporters of peace and democracy and progress in Iran and the world. This action must target the goals of warmonger circles in the US and its European allies while it expresses its opposition to reactionary and irresponsible policies of the ruling regime in Iran. We call upon the global movement of peace and progress to vigilantly tie their slogans and positions against militarization of warmongering of the US and its allies with regards to Iran, to fundamental opposition to oppressive and reactionary policies of the ruling regime in Iran.

The only way out of the present dangerous crisis is through peaceful negotiations and respect for the sovereignty and independence of nations and to observe the Charter of the United Nations.

Tudeh Party of Iran calls upon all the peace-loving forces of the world to turn the peaceful avenue of resolving the crisis into the only alternative, through raising their voices and divulging the truth, before the warmongers and reactionaries once again impose war and terror on another country in the region.

--A statement of the Central Committee of Tudeh Party of Iran