People will resist imperialism

Umut Can Fırtına

The bloodthirsty imperialist-Zionist war machine shows no sign of stopping. The region is being plunged into flames by the attacks on Iran, designated as the ‘ultimate target’ by the US and Israel, which are gradually implementing the Greater Middle East Project. In the US and Israeli air strikes, 24 cities, including the capital Tehran, were targeted. The Iranian Red Crescent announced that at least 201 people were killed and 747 wounded in the attacks. It has been confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli attacks on his residence in central Tehran. It was announced that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were also killed in the same attack. Another high-ranking figure killed in the attacks was General Mohammad Pakpur, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The army appointed Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander-in-chief. Meanwhile, other high-ranking figures such as Iranian Chief of Staff Abdurrahim Musevi, National Defence Council Chairman Ali Shamkhani and Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh were also killed. The Iranian press reported that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also lost his life in the US-Israeli attack.

ANGER IN IRANIAN SQUARES

Following the announcement that Khamenei had been killed in the US-Israeli attacks, demonstrations were held in many parts of Iran. A large crowd gathered in Revolution Square in Tehran, waving Iranian flags and posters of Khamenei and chanting anti-US and anti-Israel slogans. Following Khamenei's death, a red flag, signifying ‘revenge,’ was raised at the Jamkaran Mosque in the city of Qom. Until a new leader is elected, three members have been appointed to a temporary leadership council: Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi, a member of the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts; President Masoud Pezeshkian; and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei.

“REVENGE IS A LEGITIMATE RIGHT”

Pezeshkiyan described the assassination attempt on Khamenei as ‘an open war against Muslims around the world, especially Shiites,’ saying that Iran sees ‘revenge as a duty and a legitimate right.’

Ali Larijani, Secretary General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said, ‘The US and Israel have burned the hearts of the Iranian people by killing Khamenei, and we will burn theirs.’ The Tehran administration declared 40 days of mourning and 7 days of official holiday, while the government stated, ‘This great crime will never go unanswered.’

A three-day mourning period was also declared in Iraq, where the Shia population is in the majority. Following Khamenei's death, the Iranian army launched new attacks targeting US and Israeli targets. A statement from the Iranian Armed Forces said that as part of the sixth wave of Operation True Promise 4, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched a large-scale attack on Israeli and US military bases in the region.

The Iranian side claimed that 27 US targets in the region were targeted in the attacks. It was also stated that the Tel Nof Air Base in Israel, the General Staff headquarters in Tel Aviv and a large defence industry complex were among the targets. The statement conveyed the message that the attacks would continue in succession and in a deterrent manner, stating that ‘the sirens will not be silenced’ at Israeli and US bases. The US announced that three American soldiers were killed in the attacks.

“AMERICAN SHIP HIT”

Following the attacks, it was reported that air defence systems were activated in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and Israel, and explosions were heard at various locations. According to reports in the Iranian press, an oil tanker attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz was also targeted.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps also announced that a missile attack had been launched against the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier belonging to the US Navy. The statement, which indicated that the attack was carried out with four ballistic missiles, said, ‘Land and sea will become the graveyard of terrorist aggressors.’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed in a message published in Farsi that they would attack thousands of targets belonging to the Tehran administration while the attacks on Iran continued. Netanyahu called on the Iranian people to take to the streets, saying they would ‘create the necessary conditions for them to break free from the chains of oppression.’

A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN FOR IRAN AND THE REGION

Dr. Ezgi Uzun Teker, Yeditepe University Faculty Member

Trump's attack on Iran was not unexpected, given his leadership profile and Israel's encouragement. The attack took place in the midst of critical negotiations conducted through Oman. During these negotiations, Iran had made serious concessions, including a ‘zero storage’ guarantee that would effectively end its nuclear programme in military terms, full inspection, and uranium enrichment. However, the US had maximalist demands, including the termination of ballistic missiles and support for the ‘Axis of Resistance’ in the region. The US wants a more tamed Iran under its control. This may have led to the offer being seen as insufficient. The pinpoint operation carried out on Saturday morning was most likely the result of hot intelligence about a high-level meeting.

A NEW ERA IN IRAN

Khamenei's death marked the beginning of a new process. In the West, there were expectations that the death of the revolutionary leader would cause a shockwave, paralyse the system, halt military operations, and perhaps even lead to the regime being taken down amid chaos as the people took to the streets.

However, contrary to the perception of a ‘one-man regime’ in the Western world, Iran has an oligarchic structure where institutions balance each other. The Supreme Leader is the highest supervisor of this complex, mutually controlling system, and his death does not mean the system will be taken down. Due to Khamenei's advancing age, the system had already been making succession plans and preparations for some time.

Although the constitutional process is currently underway, it can be said that new leaders and a roadmap have already been determined behind the scenes, especially after the 12th Day War in June and the Maduro events in Venezuela. The fact that the system continues to operate while maintaining unity among the elites shows that the expectation of a regime change in the short term is not realistic. Contrary to what is believed in the West, Iranian society is not monolithic, and reactions to recent events reflect deep polarisation. Alongside those celebrating Khamenei's death in the streets with cries of joy and seeing foreign intervention as the only way out, there are also huge crowds renewing their ties with the regime and mourning. Furthermore, there is a grey area of people who, although opposed to the current regime, are nationalist and oppose foreign intervention and missiles being fired at their land.

REGIONAL THREAT OF WAR

This multi-voiced structure will determine the dynamics and possible coalitions of the ‘Third Republic’ period that will begin in the future.

Just as the US action against Iran is risky, Iran's counter-move is equally risky. Iran has carried out its threat to regionalise the war in the event of an attack by striking US bases and civilian areas in Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain. This move could seriously damage relations and the climate of trust with Gulf countries that previously supported negotiations with Iran.

Gulf leaders have so far based their legitimacy on the US security umbrella, but now that same security umbrella has turned completely against them.

If there were no bases on these lands, then these lands would not have been bombed. Particularly in countries such as Bahrain, the fact that a portion of the population applauds these attacks carries the potential for a serious internal security and legitimacy crisis for the states in the region.

The process that began after 7 October has reached a much more chaotic and frightening dimension than the 2011 Arab Spring. The system in Iran currently appears very resilient. As long as the unity among the elites in Iran remains intact, the system will continue to resist, but the deepening of the US-Israel leadership purge operations could break this resistance. The reaction of different segments of the population, as mentioned earlier, will be decisive in breaking the system's resistance. While the risk of regional war escalating persists, a new era full of uncertainties, both socially and politically, has begun for Iran.

GLOBAL DESIGN OPERATION

Aydın Sezer, Foreign Policy Analyst

The current situation in Iran is part of a regime change process that Israel and the US have been planning for a long time. The attack on Khamenei and the targeting of the regime's top figures is not just a military operation, but a clear message of determination to the Iranian people and government. However, these assassinations are not the ultimate goal in themselves; the radicalisation of those who will replace them could be used as a pretext to further increase Western intervention.

The Netanyahu administration views the Iranian regime as a ‘cancer’ and says that the elimination of this administration is essential to remove the existential threat.

THE US'S MOVE AGAINST CHINA

For Washington, the issue is economic. Strategic interests such as opening the Iranian market to Western energy companies, controlling energy routes to China, and breaking Iran's influence in the Belt and Road project are at the forefront. Iran, with its enormous economic power in terms of natural gas and oil reserves, is an appetising market for Western companies. Thanks to these reserves, Western countries can become even richer, and Iran's infrastructure can be structured according to US wishes.

The Iranian regime is facing not only external pressure but also the end of its biological and political life. Rising internal opposition and significant intelligence weaknesses within the regime demonstrate how fragile the structure is.

Furthermore, by attacking US bases, Iran has completely antagonised the Gulf countries and deepened its strategic isolation in the region. This paves the way for Israel and the Gulf axis to be reshaped by American engineering.

TURKEY COULD PAY A HEAVY PRICE

I see that Turkey has failed to fully comprehend this process and has been caught unprepared. The effects of a possible regime change or civil war scenario on Turkey would be very powerful. Firstly, the mobility of the Kurdish and Turkish populations in Western Iran has the potential to create a terrorism or refugee problem that directly concerns Turkey. Furthermore, the establishment of a Western-friendly regime in Iran would reduce the West's need for Turkey in the Middle East. This would create a situation unfavourable to the regime in Turkey. As a result of a possible regime change in Iran, Iran will emerge as a very powerful rival to Turkey in many areas, from defence industry to energy, and this will deeply shake Turkey's economy and politics.

My view is that the transformation in Iran is moving towards an inevitable end. This time, the US and Israel want to change the Iranian regime more than ever before and appear determined to do so.

The process of regime change in Iran is not merely a military operation; it is a global redesign operation in which energy markets, trade routes and regional alliances are being redefined. Turkey's behaviour of ‘pretending not to be a party’ to this process could cause it to pay a heavy price in the long term, both economically and politically.

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AMERICAN POLITICS IN CHAOS

American politicians reacted by describing President Donald Trump's attack on Iran as illegal and dangerous. The municipality of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasised that the military attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran constituted an illegal act of war. Mamdani stated that the American people did not want another regime change war, and that the society's priorities were combating the high cost of living and achieving peace.

Left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders accused Trump of gambling with American lives for the sake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sanders stated that the American people were being deceived in this process, as they were in the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and noted that the people would pay the price. California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom argued that Trump was putting American soldiers' lives at risk without justification. Leading figures in the MAGA movement, a Trump supporter base within the Republican Party, also reacted to the decision to go to war. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said, ‘We voted for Trump for “zero wars”.’ Republican Congressmen Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson, as well as Senator Rand Paul, also announced their opposition to the attacks on Iran. Massie said that he and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who played a major role in exposing the Epstein files, would submit a bill to the Congress for a vote on war with Iran.

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WE WILL NOT GIVE WAY TO BARBARISM

The US and Israeli attacks on Iran were also protested in Turkey. Protests were held in Istanbul, Adana, Malatya, and Kocaeli, among other cities, emphasising the need for a united struggle against imperialism and Zionism.

Citizens gathered in Kadıköy, Istanbul, at the call of labour and democracy forces, saying, ‘Let's grow the united struggle of the peoples’ against the attacks and massacres in the region by the US and Israel. The press statement read at the Kadıköy Pier included the following statements: "US imperialism has been attacking to reshape the Middle East and re-establish its hegemony since the invasion of Afghanistan. After Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, it is now Iran's turn. The genocidal Zionist state of Israel is acting as the battering ram for the implementation of these US plans. The ‘security of Israel’ that US officials mention at every opportunity is related to this. While the Kürecik radar base in Turkey provides intelligence to Israel, all US and NATO bases carry the potential to be used in an attack on Iran. We are completely opposed to these bases being used against our Iranian working-class brothers and sisters, and we will not allow ourselves to be complicit in this crime! To bring down this system, let us expand the united struggle of workers and the people against NATO and imperialist aggression. Let us take our voices to the streets."

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THE IRANIAN PEOPLE DECIDE THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT!

The Malatya Labour and Democracy Platform also held a protest. At a rally in Malatya city centre, a banner reading ‘Murderous USA, get out of the Middle East. Close the Kürecik base’ was unfurled. The joint press statement on behalf of the Platform was read by Şerif Demirel, Provincial Chairman of the Labour Party. Demirel stated that they stand with the Iranian people both in their struggle against the mullah regime and in their resistance against imperialist aggression. A call was also made to the Turkish regime to end military cooperation with the US and Israel and to close NATO and US bases.

The LEFT Party Spokesperson İlknur Başer emphasised that US and Israeli imperialism wanted to turn the Middle East into their own backyard as part of the Greater Middle East Project, saying, "Trump is bombing the Iranian people, girls in schools, saying he will bring so-called originality. We call out to Trump from here: If you are going to bring democracy and originality, first bring freedom and democracy to the US.‘

Addressing the AKP regime, Başer said, ’Erdoğan stated that he engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent the war. But the same regime detained journalists who reported on the activity at Incirlik. If you condemn the attack on Iran, you will show it with your actions. You will close the Kürecik NATO base in Malatya. You will close the Incirlik base. You cannot govern this country while being deeply attached to war policies and imperialism."

Speaking at the protest, Sevda Karaca, MP for Antep from the Labour Party, said, ‘Turkey is being turned into a logistical base for imperialist powers. We object to this. It is not America that will overthrow the Mullah regime, but the Iranian people's struggle for freedom.’

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IRAN DECIDES ITS OWN FUTURE

CHP Leader Özgür Özel also issued a statement regarding the US and Israeli attack on Iran.

Özel said, ‘We oppose the attacks on our neighbour Iran, which disregard international law. We advocate that the current crisis be resolved as soon as possible through diplomacy and a compromise-based approach and negotiation methods.’

Özel summarised his party's stance with the following statements:

•We do not want war and conflict in our region.

•We reject our region being subjected to interventions by the US and Israel that disregard international law and rules and do not hesitate to target innocent civilians.

• While we do not approve of the Iranian regime's oppressive and human rights-denying policies, we emphasise that only those who live here can decide the future of Iran and our region.

•The peace and security of our region is of vital importance to our country. We oppose any attempt to destabilise this region.

•As the CHP, we call on all parties to exercise restraint and common sense, and we call on the countries of the region and the international community to stand against all interventions that disregard international law.

•As seen in the examples of Palestine, Venezuela and Greenland, we observe that the US and Israel are attempting to establish a system whereby they can intervene in any country they wish, change regimes by force and acquire territory. We will continue to defend an international order based on respect for the sovereign rights of states, law and ethics, against this audacity, emboldened by the indifference of the international community.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Halklar emperyalizme direnecek, published in BirGün newspaper on March 2, 2026.