As each day passes, the flames of conflict in the Middle East roar higher; every day, capitalism displays more of its madness and savagery, and war criminals commit more war crimes. For decades, the war criminal governments of Iran and Israel have attacked each other through proxy forces, resorting to sabotage, assassination, and so forth. However, for some time now, these imperialist tensions have escalated into direct warfare between them.

Israel stated that in response to months of continuous attacks from Iran—not only missile attacks but also assaults through Iran’s allies and proxy groups—it launched an air operation called ‘Days of Atonement’ on Saturday, 26 October 2024, targeting specific sites in Iran in three stages. There is speculation that before initiating the strikes, Israel informed Iran via the Dutch embassy and warned against retaliation. On the day prior to the attack, American aircraft refuelling in the region had sparked considerable discussion among Persian-speaking social media users, arousing suspicion of a potential Israeli assault.

Iran claims that Israeli aircraft, flying over Syria and Iraq but not entering Iranian airspace, targeted specific locations within Iran using long-range, air-launched missiles with lightweight warheads, causing limited damage. Iran maintains that no IRGC military centres were hit and the casualties include one civilian and four military personnel.

Meanwhile, Israel claims that its aircraft effortlessly operated in the region’s skies, first disabling Iran’s air defences in what it described as a ‘total failure’ on Iran’s part, and then proceeding to bomb the designated targets. Israel stated that Iran is now defenceless against air assaults and exposed to further strikes.

At the conclusion of the operation, the Israeli military released a video in Persian, stating that it had neutralized Iran’s air defences, struck missile production facilities, and targeted ground-to-air defence systems within Iran. Following these attacks, Israel asserts that it now enjoys greater aerial freedom over Iran.

Previously, Middle Eastern governments had declared their intention to remain neutral in the conflict and stated they would not allow Israel to use their airspace for an attack on Iran. Speculation has arisen that, despite Jordan’s denial, Israel may have utilized Jordanian airspace in its offensive.

Both Iran and Israel, as regimes perpetrating war crimes, engage in strict news censorship, which paves the way for the spread of fake news. There is little need to elaborate on Iran’s regime, however, the BBC’s chief international correspondent provides insight into the Israeli military censorship office:

“Following Iran’s missile strike on Israel in early October, as soon as we arrived in the country, the Israeli military censor prohibited journalists from reporting the exact locations hit by Iranian missiles. This office also urged Israeli citizens not to share photos or videos. The Israeli military stated it did not wish to assist Iran in assessing the effectiveness of its attacks.”[1]

A part of military operations involves the propaganda war. Both sides in this imperialist conflict utilize wartime propaganda, employing fabricated information, as part of their strategy to further imperialist interests. Although Israel’s propaganda apparatus (with the full support of the Western bourgeoisie) operates more effectively than Iran’s—deploying public opinion manipulation with greater sophistication and ease—there are still times when they also make blunders.

While Israel’s operation was underway, Yoav Gallant’s office (Yoav Gallant is the Israeli Defence Minister) released an image from the operations room. In the photo, certain areas of the table and monitors were obscured, but one monitor displayed a large fire, creating the impression that the operations room was witnessing the action live. However, it was later revealed that the image was actually from a fire at Tehran’s refinery three years ago. This incident highlights the use of fabricated facts at the highest levels within the sordid landscape of wartime propaganda.

This direct conflict between Iran and Israel has exposed the hollow power of both nations, showing that they excel chiefly in their ability to target civilian lives. With Western support, Israel had successfully crafted the image of itself as an invincible force, one no entity could challenge. Yet, on 1st October, even with the backing of the most powerful Western military nations such as the US, the UK, and France, and Arab countries like Jordan, Iranian missiles continued to strike one after another, costing Israel and its Western allies nearly a billion dollars in preventive measures alone.

On the other hand, Iran had suggested that it had become a regional power, claiming that if Israeli aircraft ever took off to attack Iran, they would find no runway left to land on, as Iran would destroy them. The Israeli planes, however, did launch their attack—no runways were destroyed, no aircraft were downed. Instead, it was Iran’s own air defences that came under fire.

Based on the information released thus far, all evidence points to the Israeli attack being a controlled strike, much like Iran’s attack on 1st October, albeit with much fanfare. The Iranian strike, however, had more grounds for publicity since the missiles were visible, and many videos were shared. While all actors in this imperialist tension emphasize the importance of preventing escalation, there remains a risk that tensions may spiral out of control, leading to a regional war.

Following Israel’s operation, a mural was installed at Palestine Square in Tehran with the message, “Another storm is on its way,” written in both Persian and Hebrew. The Speaker of Iran’s Islamic Assembly also declared that Iran’s response to Israel’s attack is certain. The Office of the Supreme Leader similarly tweeted in Hebrew:

“The Zionist regime has miscalculated Iran. The Zionist regime’s miscalculation must be corrected.”

All of this indicates that the taboo against openly attacking one another has been broken. Both sides will now likely strive to reassert their deterrence capabilities, which will probably result in escalating imperialist tensions in the future. The undeniable reality is that war does not arise solely from the aggressive policies of unconventional states; rather, it stems from the intrinsic demands of capital, making avoidance of war in the imperialist era virtually impossible.

Following Iran’s operation on 1st October, the Iranian currency lost value daily, and the Tehran Stock Exchange recorded a decline in share values. However, after Israel’s strike on Iran, contrary to expectations, the stock market rose by 24,000 points on the same day, while gold and dollar prices fell, meaning the rial gained some value. This was because the public had anticipated a much larger operation, and the controlled nature of the strike brought a sense of relief to society.

In the wake of Israel’s operation, national governments including those of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Bahrain condemned the Israeli attack, while other nations such as Japan, Egypt, and India expressed deep concern. Western countries, with the exception of Switzerland[2], defended Israel’s actions. The US urged Iran not to retaliate, warning of serious consequences. The British Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, also stated that Iran should refrain from responding:

“To me, it is clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggressions, and equally clear that we must avoid further escalation in the region. We urge all parties to show restraint… Iran should refrain from retaliating against these attacks.”[3]

Russia, driven by its own imperialist interests, has attempted to maintain a balance in its relations with both Iran and Israel. Although it needs Iran more than it does Israel, it has deliberately withheld key support from Iran, including air defence systems and the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets. In line with its own strategic interests, Russia has not only refrained from condemning Israel’s attack on Iran, it has also indirectly encouraged Iran not to respond, sparking frustration within the Iranian media, which referred to this as Russia’s “odd stance.” The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement read:

“Moscow, while calling on all parties involved to exercise restraint and halt the violence, expresses its readiness to cooperate with all sides to reduce the level of conflict. It is essential that provocations by Iran leading to retaliatory actions are ceased, as this would otherwise cause tensions to spiral out of control.”[4]

China, too, is pursuing its own imperialist interests. Despite having a close relationship with Iran, it has made substantial investments in Israel, particularly in infrastructure and technology, exceeding those in Iran. China has maintained these investments throughout the Middle Eastern conflict. Although it purchases 90 per cent of Iran’s oil at a discount, it also seeks to retain Israel as an economic partner. Therefore, given these considerations, China has urged both sides to exercise restraint.

It appears that the only support Russia and China will offer Iran will be within the den of thieves (the United Nations). The Iranian Foreign Minister has written a letter to the Security Council of this den of thieves, requesting a meeting to discuss Israel’s attack on Iran. In this matter, Russia and China are expected to take Iran’s side.

Pro-Western factions within Iran, aside from their ideologies, viewed the escalation of tensions as a glimmer of hope, believing it might lead to a military overthrow of the clerics and pave the way for their emergence. However, while Israel’s controlled attack has left the pro-Western opposition disheartened, they still harbour hopes that such an event may occur in the future.

It has been previously suggested that Netanyahu has gone beyond Western control and that the West is unable to manage him, with him pursuing his own factional interests maniacally. Israel’s attack on Iran, along with the considerations of the US – especially with the upcoming presidential elections – and the decision not to target Iran’s nuclear, oil, and gas facilities, has however demonstrated that Netanyahu is indeed controllable. But it is capitalism rather that has careered out of control, driving humanity towards savagery in a frenzied manner. This illustrates that if the global working class does not fulfil its duty to overthrow capitalism, a very dark future lies ahead for humanity.

As capitalism entered its era of decline, characterized by World War I, global capitalism transitioned into the age of imperialism, where no progressive war can exist under any circumstances, and all wars are imperialist and reactionary. The only revolutionary war is the class struggle, and only social revolution can be deemed progressive.

War conditions intensify the atmosphere of policing within society and poison the working class with war propaganda, thereby creating an unsuitable environment for the mobilization of the working class. In contrast, economic crisis not only provides the material conditions for expanding workers’ protests, it also prepares the ground for class struggle to take on a more aggressive form. Given the wartime conditions, it is the duty of internationalists to defend proletarian internationalism, exposing the imperialist nature of such tensions and their material foundations to the public. They must loudly proclaim that all these tensions are against the working class. Workers have no class interest in engaging in such wars, and it must be emphasized that the enemy is everywhere, right in their own homes.

History has shown that the only force capable of ending the bourgeois killing machine that is war is the working class. It was the danger of the German Revolution that forced the bourgeoisie to sign the armistice. The same thing is always true. War criminals only refrain from conflict when there is the danger of the proletariat preparing themselves for the class war. Although the global working class is not in such a position today, the evolution of the class struggle can create such a future for the proletariat.

War has become a way of life for capitalism in its decadent age. Capitalism cannot provide a future, as it only spreads brutality and barbarism to more areas. It is an illusion to ask the warmongers to stop the war. The peace of the warmongers can only be a smokescreen in war-seeking capitalism. From within the peace of capitalism, only the flames of war can spread. Only the class struggle of the workers can offer an alternative to the brutality of capitalism, because the proletariat does not have a country to defend and its fight must cross national borders and develop on an international scale. Only the working class, by overthrowing capitalism on a global scale, can destroy the material basis of imperialist tensions and bring permanent peace to humanity.

Workers have no country!

Down with the imperialist war!

Long live the war between the classes!

 

Internationalist Voice

27 October 2024

Notes:

^{[1] BBC}.

[2] “Switzerland condemns the dangerous escalation of violence in the Middle East, including today’s Israel airstrikes in Iran. Hostilities must cease on all sides to avoid the worsening of the regional escalation.”

^{[3] BBC}.

^{[4] AsreIran.}

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