A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #369 - International - Iran: A Struggle to Return Power to the People (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The recent uprisings in Iran have shaken the regime of the Islamic 
Republic. For our comrades at the Anarchist Front in Iran, who wrote 
this text, it is now necessary to apply strategies derived from 
anarcho-syndicalism to address the root causes of the problems faced by 
the people without allowing imperialist interests to establish 
themselves in the country. ---- The 2025-2026 protests in Iran highlight 
the structural vulnerabilities of the Islamic Republic, which stem from 
decades of economic mismanagement, international sanctions, and 
authoritarian governance. The collapse of the Rial, exacerbated by 
corruption, subsidies to foreign militias, and isolation from global 
markets, has eroded public trust, transforming daily hardships into a 
catalyst for broader dissent. Unlike the 2022 protests, which were 
sparked by a single incident[1], this uprising is fueled by widespread 
socio-economic grievances, amplifying its reach in urban bazaars, rural 
provinces, and universities. The regime's response, relying on the brute 
force of the IRGC[2]and the Basij[3], has further fueled the escalation, 
as evidenced by armed clashes and the formation of militias. Moreover, 
the persistence of the protests despite repression highlights a shift: 
Iranians appear less fearful, their slogans evolving from economic 
demands to explicit calls for regime change. However, fragmented 
leadership and limited international support could undermine the 
movement's sustainability, as Western attention remains divided. If 
nothing is done, this could lead to a tipping point, similar to the fall 
of Syria in 2024. Overall, the unrest reveals the theocracy's inability 
to address root causes such as corruption and inequality.

Rally in Nishapur on January 9. The Iranian regime's policy of 
censorship and communications shutdowns makes it particularly difficult 
to get information and photos out.

Wikimedia
Anarcho-syndicalism, which emphasizes worker self-organization, direct 
action, and the abolition of hierarchical structures, offers the 
population a framework for dismantling the roots of corruption and 
oppression in the Islamic Republic.

Anarcho-syndicalist solutions
This perspective views the state and its theocratic-capitalist alliances 
as inherently exploitative, perpetuating inequality through control of 
labor and resources and repression. Key strategies include promoting 
independent workers' unions-free from state or religious control-to 
coordinate general strikes in sectors such as markets, oil refineries, 
and utilities. These strikes could paralyze the economy by drawing labor 
away from corrupt institutions and redirecting it toward community 
needs, such as mutual aid networks for food distribution and 
self-defense collectives. Through horizontal assemblies, participants 
could practice direct democracy by forming councils that connect urban 
traders with rural farmers and students, rejecting top-down leadership 
to avoid co-optation.

Direct actions, such as occupying workplaces and public spaces, would 
challenge the regime's authority without resorting to external 
interventions, which often reinforce imperialism. By cultivating 
solidarity across ethnicities and social classes, these efforts could 
erode the IRGC's base by appealing to disillusioned soldiers as fellow 
workers. Ultimately, the goal is a stateless society where production is 
collectively managed, eliminating the foundations of corruption through 
voluntary federations that prioritize human liberation over profit or dogma.

A History Paved with Contradictions
Iran's position in this landscape is that of a contested battleground, 
embodying resistance to Western domination while simultaneously being 
entangled in rival imperial orbits. The Islamic Republic positions 
itself as a bulwark against the "Atlantic imperialist order," aligning 
itself with Russia and China in groups such as the BRICS and the 
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to challenge US-imposed sanctions and 
isolation. Iran's anti-imperialist rhetoric draws on the 1979 revolution 
that overthrew the US-backed monarchy and presented the new regime as a 
defender against the colonial legacy. However, this position masks 
internal contradictions: theocratic authoritarianism, economic 
mismanagement, and proxy wars (as in Syria and Yemen) serve as tools of 
regional influence, often at the expense of domestic freedoms, echoing 
colonial divide-and-rule tactics.

The current popular uprisings fall within this framework as popular 
rebellions against internal oppression and external imperialist 
pressures. The protesters' demands for regime change ("Death to 
Khamenei") underscore how Iran's defiance of US imperialism has been 
transformed into a tool of internal repression, where anti-imperialism 
becomes an "imperialism of fools" that justifies corruption and 
inequality. These uprisings echo the historical cycles of Iranian 
resistance, from the 1979 revolution to the 2022 protests in support of 
Mahsa Amini. But in a multipolar context, they risk being co-opted by 
competing powers. Russia and China support the regime through arms, 
trade, and diplomatic cover in order to counter US influence. Meanwhile, 
the West amplifies the protests to justify sanctions and potential 
intervention, presenting them as a liberal and democratic struggle 
rather than a class or anti-colonial one. This dynamic illustrates 
multipolar colonialism: Iran's sovereignty is eroded not by a single 
empire, but by a network of rival interests where popular struggles 
become pawns in the games of the great powers, marginalizing genuine 
self-determination.

Anarchist Front (Iran), translated and edited by the UCL International 
Relations Committee

[1]The death of Kurdish student Mahsa Jinna Amini.

[2]Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

[3]Paramilitary militia within the IRGC.

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Iran-Une-lutte-pour-redonner-le-pouvoir-au-peuple
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe https://ainfos.ca/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en