Middle East

The western imperialist vultures are circling the Iranian regime. Donald Trump has already threatened to intervene in Iran three times since the protests began. Meanwhile, the Israeli state has sent ominous messages through Mossad’s Farsi X account, including: “Let's come out to the streets together. The time has come. We are with you. Not just from afar and verbally. We are with you in the field as well”. 

On 29 December, the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the dollar, sparking a bazaar strike in Tehran with massive processions in the main streets chanting the slogans: “Close, close!”, “Death to the dictator!”, “Death to high prices!”, and, “This is the final message; the target is the entire regime.”

Trump’s peace plan in Gaza is unacceptable to the Jewish supremacists in Israel’s ruling coalition. Even though it submits Gaza to an American-led occupation, even though it gives Israel a free hand to kill as it pleases, it holds out vague hope for a Palestinian state, at least in words. Their whole programme is to destroy any prospect of a Palestinian homeland.

On 17 November, the United Nations Security Council voted in favour of a resolution which will progress Donald Trump’s ‘peace’ plan for Gaza. But what has so far been established by the first phase is not the ‘eternal peace’ that Trump touted, but a continuation of the killing at a lower intensity, for now, and a criminal partition of the territory.

Celebrations have erupted in Gaza and Israel at the announcement by Trump on Truth Social that a peace agreement has been reached between Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Egypt. That there is celebration is understandable, especially for Gazans who until this point faced a future of certain death by bombardment or starvation. However, we must tell the truth, ugly as that truth may be.

Last week, US President Donald Trump stepped in to impose his 20-point peace plan to end the genocide in Gaza. He is now proposing that Gaza be handed over to an American-led transitional authority, chaired by himself, with the assistance of the destroyer of Iraq, Tony Blair.

Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla has sparked an eruption of mass anger across the world and particularly in Europe. In Italy, this has led to not one but two political general strikes for Palestine. This represents the decisive entry onto the scene of the powerful Italian working class. In Spain too, millions were on the streets. Many hundreds of thousands took to the streets of hundreds of cities all over Europe.

At around 6pm GMT on 1 October, Israeli armed forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla of over 40 vessels which had been travelling towards Gaza to break the naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. By this morning, 2 October, the majority of the boats had been seized by Israel and their occupants, hundreds of people, have been illegally detained, and transported to Israel. Amongst those seized were Greta Thunberg, the former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, an Irish senator and many other political, trade union and solidarity movement figures and pro-Palestine activists.

Reporters Without Borders has warned that, “At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no one left to keep you informed”. Gaza has become the deadliest place for journalists in the world. Over 270 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel since 7 October 2023.

This week, Israel erupted into a ‘nationwide day of stoppage’ after Netanyahu announced the conquest and occupation of Gaza, effectively signing the death warrants of the remaining hostages.

Famine is ravaging Gaza. Over the past weeks, the most horrific images have come out of the occupied territory, showing men, women and children reduced to skin and bones. One million children in Gaza – half the population – are at risk of starvation. At least 180 Palestinians, including 93 children, have already died from malnutrition with dozens now starving to death every day.

Last week, the jihadist regime of al-Jolani orchestrated another pogrom. Those targeted were members of the Druze minority in Syria’s southern Suweida province. Using this as an excuse, Israel dropped enormous bombs on the headquarters of the defence ministry and sites near the presidential palace in Damascus.