We hereby share a statement issued by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee (CC-PB) of the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist-Leninist (TKP/ML).
Our Working People of the Turkish and Kurdish Nations and of Various Nationalities,
U.S. imperialism and Zionist Israel have launched an attack on Iran once again with their full power and resources, following the 12-Day Wars. U.S. imperialism is acting to reorganize the world in a way that serves its own interests without war, or through the option of war. While Trump proclaims himself the “President of Peace,” he renders the old rules and institutions dysfunctional in order to reestablish the balance of power in the world. The system at the head of which U.S. imperialism stands cannot overcome its deep economic crisis. This situation makes it more politically and militarily aggressive. On one hand, it tries to politically design Latin America, which it considers its backyard; on the other hand, it seeks to compress the historical Western alliance while undermining it. At the same time, while pursuing peace over Russia and Ukraine, it takes measures to reduce the influence of Russian imperialism from the Caucasus to the Middle East and Africa. It has focused all of its economic, political, and military concentration on the Pacific‑Asia. The U.S. has clearly identified China as its principal rival and designated it as the region where contradictions are intensifying. The aggression toward Venezuela and Iran, the threats directed at Cuba, Pakistan’s declared war on Afghanistan, the pursuit of peace in the Russia‑Ukraine war, the effort to bury the cause of Palestine, the attempt to hand over the Kurdish nation into the protection of Turkish dominators, and the alliance sought—all of these are not independent from the U.S.’s struggle with rival imperialist powers.
U.S. imperialism seeks to consolidate its hegemony in the Middle East by supporting dominant regimes and nations against the peoples and oppressed nations. In particular, it aims to reshape the entire region economically, militarily, and politically by using its vassals Turkey and Israel as two principal forces. While profound changes are targeted in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, the entire region is being approached in accordance with the new configuration required by these profound transformations. While this transformation focuses on the reorganization of the Middle East, it is based on relying on dominant and loyal powers in accordance with the essence of the imperialist economic‑political system. In this context, it is certain that the anticipated changes will not benefit the oppressed peoples. Expecting anything from imperialism in favor of oppressed nations, and relying on it, will produce no outcome other than the continuation of conditions of slavery or, at most, their “amelioration.”
U.S. imperialism is maintaining preparations for a large‑scale war through tactical approaches involving a negotiation‑threat‑attack equation toward countries with which it faces problems. In the approach he defines as “peace through strength,” Trump determines the level of aggression according to the firmness of the resistance he encounters. So far, the level of aggression has taken the form of bombing military facilities, abducting or killing leaders, or sinking or seizing ships in the Caribbean. This form of aggression is part of the repertoire of U.S. imperialism. For the U.S., the main issue is whether the interventions will evolve into broader, occupation‑involving military actions capable of changing regimes. At this stage, the U.S. is following a limited line that allows for negotiations while simultaneously asserting its power to regroup. All these steps should be seen as part of the intensive preparation for a larger war or as initiatives that mature it.
TAKE UP ANTI‑IMPERIALIST CONSCIOUSNESS AND STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION!
The scope and content of U.S. imperialism’s attack on Iran together with Zionist Israel are greater than those of the 12-Day Wars in June 2025. In the attack, the spiritual and political leader of the Iranian Mullah regime, Ali Khamenei, along with many high-ranking military and political leaders, as well as dozens of military facilities and civilian areas, were bombed; a school was targeted, resulting in the deaths of nearly 150 children. For the U.S. and Zionism, the reactionary nature of the Iranian regime and its hostility toward its own people and oppressed nations are of no importance. The main issue is that the Iranian regime is not under the hegemony of U.S. imperialism. It develops economic and political dependency relations with rivals Russia and China and is incompatible with U.S. interests in the region. U.S. imperialism declared to the world that the assassination of Khamenei would be “justice served by eliminating one of history’s worst individuals and an opportunity for the Iranian people to reclaim their country.” U.S. imperialism presented its blatantly reactionary aggression to the world with familiar arguments. While it proclaimed throughout the region that “working with dictators” would be more effective and legitimized, in Iran the pretext of “hostility toward its own people” must be understood as the most inconsistent and despicable form of familiar deceit.
U.S. imperialism structures its regional plans as the primary supporter of Zionist genocide in Gaza; the planner of jihadist massacres and aggression against Alawites, Kurds, Druze, and Christians in Syria; and the facilitator of the hostility of Turkish ruling classes toward the people and Kurds throughout the region. The “Peace Council” established by Trump to destroy the Palestinian cause will also serve as an instrument facilitating imperialist aggression in the region. What Trump understands by regional peace is the strengthening of the pubbet forces he relies on and the elimination of the bases of rival imperialists China and Russia. On this axis, he provides unconditional support to Zionism against Palestine; to Colani Syria against Kurds and Alawites; to the kingdoms, emirates, and military dictatorships against the Arab peoples; and to fascist TC against the working people of Turkish, Kurdish, and various other nationalities.
Iran has carried out missile strikes in response to imperialist aggression, targeting, above all, Zionist Israel, as well as U.S. military bases in Gulf countries, Jordan, and Iraqi Kurdistan. These strikes were especially directed at financial centers and airports in Doha and Dubai. To assume that the attack on Iran is independent of these countries, which are puppets of the U.S., would be politically naive. By not limiting the scope of its attacks to military bases, Iran has highlighted the regional-war potential of the aggression it experienced. It should also be noted that the aggression has strengthened the grounds for Shia and Sunni polarization and conflict throughout the region. Such a division and alignment clearly serve as a facilitating instrument for the U.S. to manage contradictions and consolidate its hegemony.
U.S. imperialism has adopted a line of aggression that envelops the entire world. The imperialist system is rotten as a whole—its capital, culture, and political line are all decayed. The crises and corruption intensify both inter-imperialist struggles and internal clique conflicts. The destructive nature of this competition translates into heavier burdens for oppressed peoples and nations. Around the world, political regimes have grown increasingly reactionary, defense budgets have reached massive proportions, the race for chauvinism has become the foundation of reactionary shared interests, and peoples are being turned against one another. This situation signifies conditions in which the smell of gunpowder is increasingly felt and the hysteria of imperialist division fuels military concentration.
Under these conditions, the point on which all imperialists and their puppet forces converge is the elimination, subjugation, and prevention of development for so-called “independent” resistance forces. From Latin America to Africa, from India to the Middle East, from the Balkans to Eastern Europe, attacks are carried out along the axis of eradicating progressive, democratic, revolutionary social, and national liberation movements. Imperialists and their puppets leave these forces with the choice of either positioning themselves within the system or being forcibly eliminated. Particularly, national revolutionary and democratic movements engaged in armed struggle, revolutionary forces, and communists face severe annihilatory aggression. This is also part of the preparation that imperialists do not neglect for larger wars.
The full savage nature and lawless actions of imperialist aggression have become a phenomenon that strengthens the class struggle. The unjust character of the economic, political, and military assault is a fact that has reached the awareness of broader masses. Anger and resistance against imperialism and all its reactionary pillars are widespread. However, this anger has not yet acquired an organized and united character. With all our strength and concentration, we must organize this anger and transform it into political power.
The attack on Iran should be read as the signal flare of a large-scale war across the region. At the same time, it should intensify efforts to accelerate the momentum of a broad anti-imperialist struggle. While imperialist powers prepare for war with all their might, they advise oppressed nations and peoples to remain “peaceful.” Under these conditions, revolutionary and communist movements must focus all their concentration on organizing revolutionary armed struggle. The main targets of armed struggle must be the imperialists, their local collaborators, and their puppets. Communists must persevere further along the line of people’s war in semi-colonial, semi-feudal countries against imperialist war preparations. This is the line that will organize the revolution and lead the people to liberation. Our Party will act by donning its confidence in this line. The true national liberation line against imperialist aggression and occupation also lies in organizing people’s war under the leadership of the communists.
- DOWN WITH IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION!
- IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION AND ZIONIST BARBARISM WILL BE DEFEATED, THE RESISTING PEOPLE OF IRAN WILL WIN!
- ZIONISM WILL BE DEFEATED, PALESTINE WILL WIN!
- THE OPPRESSED NATIONS AND PEOPLES OF THE WORLD WILL UNITE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND WIN!
- LONG LIVE PROLETARIAN INTERNATIONALISM!
- LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE’S WAR AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND ALL FORMS OF REACTION!
March 2026
TKP/ML CC-PB
(Communist Party of Turkey /Marxist-Leninist
Central Committee – Political Bureau)
