28 February 2026
The International Bolshevik Tendency condemns the unprovoked US–Israeli assault on Iran and demands all imperialist forces out of the Middle East. The strikes come amid a massive American military buildup, including two carrier strike groups, advanced fighter jets and extensive naval and air assets—the largest US concentration in the region since the criminal 2003 invasion of Iraq. This signals preparation for a sustained offensive, not a limited action.
The imperialist escalation follows the breakdown of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran essentially designed to provide a pretext for the war. The US demands go beyond nuclear limits to include intentionally unacceptable restrictions on Iran’s missile program and its support for regional allies such as Hezbollah and Hamas. As with the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, American imperialist diplomacy serves as cover for military pressure—aimed at forcing concessions or paving the way for wider regional war.
The attack on Iran is part of a broader geopolitical objective by US policymakers and the Pentagon to reassert American dominance in the Middle East and weaken or topple the Iranian government, which is the main obstacle to Israeli regional hegemony. The scale of the current deployment points towards a prolonged, region-wide conflict.
Iran has launched counter-strikes on Israel and US military bases in the region. While we give no political support to the brutal theocracy in Tehran, we call for the defeat of the United States and Israel and defend Iran’s attacks on military targets. American imperialism and its rabid Israeli attack dog have the blood of millions of innocent people on their hands. Backed to the hilt by Washington, Israel is currently pursuing a genocidal campaign in Gaza and for the expansion of its territory as part of a “Greater Israel” project that would see the annexation of vast areas currently governed by supposed US allies. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, raised alarm bells last week when he admitted that he favored Israel’s seizure of lands “from the Nile to the Euphrates”: “It would be fine if they took it all.”
The war on Iran threatens to engulf not only the entire Middle East but potentially spill out of the region. Russia and China, both allies of Tehran, have condemned the attacks on Iran, though at present it seems unlikely that either intends to get directly involved in the conflict. Canadian, British, French, German and EU leaders have issued statements ranging from entirely supportive of the American–Israeli military assault to formally even-handed. The effects of the war on the global economy could be profound, with a series of unintended consequences in Europe and beyond. It is by no means excluded that this conflict could trigger a third world war.
The international working class stands as the only force able to end this madness and disarm the imperialist and Israeli lunatics shooting at Iran. Workers in the US, Europe and the Middle East should engage in strike activity to disrupt the war machine. The current leadership of the organized labor movement is too beholden to their respective ruling classes to launch such actions, but there is hope that the rank-and-file may push for sanity. Revolutionary leadership is urgently needed to initiate and guide concerted strike action in defense of Iran and, more broadly, against imperialism.
Related articles
US Imperialists, Hands Off Iran! (18 January 2026)
Block the Bombs, Shut Down the Ports! (1917 No.49)
The Empire Lashes Out (1917 No.49)
Inching towards World War III (1917 No.47)