We Need a Global Anti-War Movement
Let us look at the world at large.
The Ukrainian war, the active and ongoing state of war in the Middle East, the wave of military coups across the African continent, the lines of tension in Northern Europe, the Caucasus, and the East Asian Pacific region, among others.
We observe a world on the brink of an abyss, don’t we?
Why does capitalism instigate, initiate, perpetuate warfare, and try to disseminate it throughout the entirety of the world?
The crises accumulating along two main fronts are shaking global capitalism, and especially its historical vanguard, the Western-centered imperialist bloc, namely the US, the UK, and the EU.
The economic crisis, which began with the bursting of the financial bubble in 2008, has remained unresolved to this day, and the crisis of hegemony is intertwined with this economic crisis.
Warfare especially accelerating due to the hegemonic crisis, is increasingly spreading among wider geographies.
The US, which became the global hegemon of capitalism after the 2nd World War, is losing power.
As the US loses power, China and Russia, emerging as rivals, strive to increase their influence, while within the EU, proponents of gaining ‘strategic autonomy’ from the US are also consolidating power.
The intense tension accumulated by the competition among global powers within a hegemonic crisis level, spreads across the globe and incites wars in tense regions. While the US struggles to maintain its hegemony as usual, opposing powers aspire for a multi-polar new world order and these contrary tendencies clash with each other. Although the enormous destructive power of the weapons owned by the great powers prevents them, for now, from direct warfare, it paves the way for proxy wars and spreads warfare throughout the globe.
The Implications of the War in the Middle East
The attack of Hamas on Israeli settlements, on 7 October 2023, triggered a new equation for the region Pro-Palestinian organizations imposed themselves on Israel, and the already existing Israeli attacks were transformed into a genocide supported by US and Europe using the attack of Hamas as a justification. This ongoing genocide in front of the eyes of the whole world acted as an accelerating force for global anti-war struggle. “Prior to these developments, Iran had emerged with the claim of becoming a regional pivot state, establishing a sphere of influence by aligning itself with what it termed the ‘Axis of Resistance’—including certain forces in Iraq, Assad’s Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestinian organizations. However, this hegemonic positioning first began to weaken following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and the subsequent chain of assassinations, currently, even the Iranian state itself appears to be in a weakened position.
Immediately following the assassination of Nasrallah, the parachuting of HTS into Damascus—backed by imperialist powers and their local partner, Turkey—led to the severing of the land corridor of the ‘Axis of Resistance’. Iran’s Tehran–Baghdad–Damascus–Beirut axis has effectively collapsed, and Iran lost crucial ground in its pursuit of establishing itself as a regional pivot state. Its power and influence in the region narrowed, remaining limited to Yemen and segments of Iraq.
The ’12-Day War,’ which unfolded between June 13 and 24, marked a new threshold in the escalating tensions between the U.S.-Israel alliance and Iran. This tension draws in states with sub-imperialist ambitions in the region, such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Qatar, while only marginally involved in the war, is primarily involved to the conflict through financial and trade investments. Turkey aims to create an anti-Iranian position supported by the US under its own leadership, by simultaneously taking the initiative in Syria and intervening in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict as a hegemonic power.
The war broke out at the highest stage on June 13, following the assassination of top Iranian officials, including Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri and several nuclear scientists. From the Iranian perspective, its ability to maintain a balanced stance in nuclear negotiations without abandoning its core goals was of significant importance. Reformist Pezeshkian, who was elected as the President of Iran following the death of former President Raisi in a helicopter crash, was elected precisely to act as an inclusive figure in the nuclear negotiations. It is evident that this was not sufficient for the imperialist powers, and at this stage complete submission is demanded.
The ’12-Day War’ exposed the advantages and limitations both of Iran and of the Zionists. For Iran, its ability to strike Israel directly and its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz completely were advantages, while the regime’s despotic structure and its alienation from its own people were limitations. The allegedly impenetrable Iron Dome was shattered. For the Zionists, it became clear that they could strike Iran comprehensively whenever they wished, having effectively paralyzed its air defense. The challenges faced by the U.S. in managing concurrent interventions in Ukraine and Iran highlighted its limited ability to engage in simultaneous conflicts across various regions.
The War Exhibits a Tendency to Expand in Three Categories
War, albeit being in a ceasefire phase, carries the potential for turning into a persistent conflict, and the motives for undermining the anti-Israeli front are still evident.
The initial expansion tendency of the war is the possibility of a direct involvement of imperialist states. The US was already involved in the ’12-Day War’. In the possible event of a re-escalation of the conflict, if the US involvement resumes, Russia, perceiving a southern encirclement, and China, threatened by the potential loss of its only energy supply, may intervene.
The second expansion tendency lies in the possibility of regional pivotal states’ involvement. Qatar was dragged into the ’12-Day War’ with the strikes targeting Doha. Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Turkey are on the verge of a similar situation. These countries, despite not yet engaged in direct frontline conflict, are making preparatory stops amid rising tensions.
For example, Azerbaijan limits itself by engaging with Armenia without becoming involved in a possible war on Iranian territory; meanwhile, Turkey becomes involved in this tension and also takes the initiative in Syria. This category may be supplemented by the possibility of Iraq being pulled into the frontline to entirely dismantle Iran’s regional influence.
The third expansion tendency is the potential activation of Iran’s historical fault lines. In the event of a renewed hot frontline conflict, historical issues that could lead to fractures in the four regions of Iran may come to the surface. An equation could emerge where the Kurdish regions face pressure from the Kurds, Iranian Azerbaijan from Azerbaijan, Tehran from Zionist forces, and the Baloch regions from both the Baloch population and Pakistan. Such an equation would mobilize the Shia dynamic and peoples.
Hypocrisy Is a Hallmark of Imperialism
We, socialists, are naturally against the existence and proliferation of nuclear weapons; nevertheless, it is clear that the issue is far beyond nuclear negotiations. ’12-Day War’ was legitimized and justified by claims that the Iranian nuclear program had reached a stage capable of producing a nuclear bomb. Those who possess hundreds or even thousands of nuclear warheads considered it their right to attack Iran, which does not possess even a single nuclear warhead.
Uranium-235 enriched to 2–3% is reactor-grade, whereas enrichment to 90% or above is weapons-grade. It is known that Iran is capable of achieving around 60% enrichment. It is therefore hypocritical to intervene against Iran, who is far from capable of producing a nuclear warhead.
Those who sell lies to the peoples of the world committed war crimes by bombing uranium enrichment facilities like Natanz. This act of strategic bombing, undeniably a war crime, could have wiped out much of the region had the reactor been fully destroyed. Acts that threaten to wipe out humanity and all living beings are undeniably war crimes, yet those who carry out a brutal, daily genocide with impunity show no sense of responsibility whatsoever.
The Urgent Need for an Anti-War Movement
Wars that are launched at the highest level, where the gravest war crimes are committed without hesitation, where hypocrisy and lawlessness prevail, where the annihilation of all living beings is risked, and where genocide is carried out against peoples in full view of the world – these wars, instigated by imperialist powers and especially the Zionist expansion in our region, must be stopped.
Where war is an imperative for imperialism, resistance against imperialist wars is imperative for the oppressed classes and peoples. Opposition to war is an anti-imperialist stance and is against imperialism that is the cause of war. This position transcends the rightful and legitimate humanitarian anti-war stance that perceives only a fragment of the truth.
Against the imperialist warmongering aiming for a recolonized world, we urgently need an anti-war movement that upholds the solidarity of peoples and the right of all life to survive.
The wars occurring in our region are imposed by imperialists. Our region has been driven to the forefront of global tensions, and together we find ourselves on the front lines. The peoples of the region must unite in solidarity on an anti-war platform.
Down with Imperialism, down with Zionism!
Long live the peace movement against imperialist war, long live the united struggle of the peoples!