Hands Off Iran! Hands Off the Middle East! Free Palestine!

Huge image in Tehran - "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind."

As we write, the US warmonger Trump continues the dangerous US war escalation with military build-up in the Middle East threatening Iran. Trump boasts of sending a "massive armada" with deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three destroyers, including guided-missile destroyers and additional ships. These have also been supplemented by reports of "specialist military" jets and helicopters arriving through US bases in Britain and Germany showing the cowardice and complicity of British and the EU ally vassals in all US threats against Iran. This is the reality of the crimes against peace by Trump and his allies. It is in fact now support for Trump's lashing out with even more extreme violence, destruction and obliteration of anything which stands in his way.

Al Quds Day - Tehran 2024

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, whilst in China, when asked if Trump's actions were right, refused to say, only commenting: "We all agree that ensuring that Iran doesn't get that nuclear programme is the number one priority, and that's what we're working on." Starmer did not refer to Britain's so-called concern about Iranian demonstrators. He instead emphasised the nuclear pretext to interfere in Iran just as Blair had used "weapons of mass destruction" as a pretext to invade Iraq in 2003.

Last week the EU dutifully designated the Iranian defence forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a "terrorist" organisation. The British government on Monday, February 2, moved to impose further sanctions on Iran and Iranians [1]. Then on Tuesday, the government led a debate in Parliament [2] where the whole cartel party system condemned Iran for "attacks on protesters", and any parallel drawn with the arrest and demonising of pro-Palestine demonstrators here was noticeable by its absence.

In the debate, only one MP, Richard Foord, managed to condemn Trump's threats to attack Iran saying: "In response to the unilateral US action in Venezuela, the Government merely said that they were waiting to establish all the facts. Meanwhile President Trump said that he does not need international law, and that he is constrained only by his own morality or conscience. In advance of any US unilateral action against Iran, will the Minister reassure the House that this time the Government will speak up for the use of force when it is in compliance with international law?" The Parliamentary under secretary, Hamish Falconer tried to claim in reply: "As the House knows, the Government are a strong supporter of international law. Everything we do is consistent with that principle, but for the reasons that I set out to the Shadow Foreign Secretary, I will not be commenting on hypothetical scenarios." In other words, the reality is that the government and the cartel party system in Westminster support Trump, but fantasise that to do so is supporting "international law". In reply, Iran has stood firm. It has said it will strike US bases and aircraft carriers immediately in response to any attack.

Chicago, January 3, 2026

Iran and its Islamic Republic has always responded with the full force of the heroic Iranian people and its 1979 revolution, the anniversary of which we celebrate this week on February 11. In nearly 50 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never bent but continued to resist the criminal actions of the Anglo-US imperialists, and the Israeli regime who continue their genocidal murder of the Palestinian people with the support of the US, Britain and the EU. This week marks the anniversary of the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime in 1979 by the Iranian people. The celebrations known as the Fajr decade (Ten Days of Dawn), run annually from February 1st to 11th (12th to 22nd of Bahman in the Persian calendar). The referendum that followed in March 1979 established the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The brutal Pahlavi monarchy had itself been brought to power on August 19, 1953, by a coup organised by the Anglo-US imperialists to seize back control of Iranian oil fields and Iran's strategic position in the Middle East. The coup d'état overthrew the government of Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had defended Iran, its oil and resources, and was left to die in prison.

Since the Iranian revolution, the Anglo-US imperialists alongside the Israeli regime and their European allies have never ceased in the attempts to destroy the Islamic Republic. The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) has consistently maintained its stand demanding an end to imperialist intervention in the Middle East, specifically campaigning under banners such as "Hands off Iran" and "Hands off the Middle East" and "Free Palestine" and supporting the resistance. The Party has always argued that Iran and its people should be left alone to determine their own path and that the focus should be on stopping US-British interference and aggression. The Party characterises "Western" media reports regarding Iran's nuclear programme as disinformation for war, comparing it to the build-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion and the so-called accusation that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction" used to justify the Anglo-US invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Party has always argued that meddling by British and American governments is the primary cause of regional turmoil.

London, January 31, 2026

When Iran announced the starting of live-fire military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a substantial portion of the world's oil passes, US forces had immediately been taken by surprise. These drills overlap with US movements, and noticeably blind-sided and forced US military concerns over "potential miscalculations" in the congested waters and a demand that the Iranian military, the IRGC, should act with "professionalism". In Tehran, a huge image is being displayed showing a bird's-eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter planes on its flight deck. The deck is strewn with bodies and streaked with blood that trails into the water behind the ship to form a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the American flag. A slogan is emblazoned across one corner: "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind." All this shows why Trump was forced to retreat to diplomatic talks with Iran which are said to be going ahead on Friday, February 6.

As Workers' Weekly reported, condemning the Israel and US bombing of Iran last year in their 12-day attack on Iran on June 12, 2025: "Israel is a terrorist state committing genocide against the Palestine people whose land it occupies. The British government's support for arming Israel and supporting it as an 'ally' must be ended. Britain must support Iran in exercising its right to self-defence and demand that Israel cease its attack on Iran and ends its genocide against the Palestinian people." To the US, Britain and their allies the working class and people say "Hands Off Iran!" "Hands Off the Middle East!" "Free Palestine!".

Condemn British Sanctions on Iran

The British government announced on February 2 a new wave of sanctions against several high-ranking Iranian officials and entities accused of involvement in serious human rights violations. This move, the Foreign Office said, "targets individuals within the country's judiciary, security forces and transport infrastructure who have been instrumental in enforcing repressive laws and stifling dissent." The government claims that "these individuals have played a direct role in the suppression of fundamental freedoms and the mistreatment of citizens exercising their right to protest."

These sanctions amount to a declaration of war against a sovereign government. They can be seen as a form of collective punishment that itself violates principles of international justice. The Iranian people are the force that will sort out their own problems. The sanctions are incompatible with the fundamental right of the Iranian people to chart their own future free from external interference. The sanctions go against the Iranian people's ability to determine their own political and economic path. The Iranian nation's right to self-governance must be respected without foreign pressure designed to shape internal affairs.

The Iranian people have the right to determine their own future without British and/or US coercion. Britain must not join with Trump and the US in finding pretexts, whether as regards to Iran's nuclear programme or concern over "perpetrators of human rights violations", with which to commit aggression against Iran, itself a powerful anti-imperialist force.

Notes
1. UK announces sanctions against perpetrators of human rights violations in Iran
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-perpetrators-of-human-rights-violations-in-iran
2. Iran Volume 780: debated on Tuesday 3 February 2026
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-02-03/debates/9CF7A5A9-1F44-44AD-917F-15F55C597CE6/Iran

On January 30, 2026, Birmingham witnessed its third megapicket in the long-running bin workers' strike. The strike, which began in March 2025, was sparked by Birmingham City Council's plans to cut pay and eliminate job roles, affecting close to two hundred workers, who face annual pay reductions of up to £8,000.

This third megapicket, organised by Strike Map, gathered thousands of union members and supporters at major depots like Perry Barr, Tyseley, and Smithfield, aiming to paralyse refuse services across the city. Musical performances added to the atmosphere, creating a vibrant yet defiant mood among the participants [1].

Speakers criticised the ostensibly Labour but commissioner-run council for its refusal to engage constructively with strikers, reflecting the demand for a return to negotiations. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP said: "All we're asking you to do is get around the table and start negotiations. These commissioners, they should've been sacked months ago. What I find offensive is, you look at the pay cut they've tried to inflict, and then how much they're earning on a daily basis. It's money most people couldn't dream of, and yet they sit there trying to dictate how the city should be run."

In the face of the workers' determination and wide support, the council is increasingly turning to open police powers. Last May, the council obtained an interim High Court injunction to prevent picketing that obstructed vehicles and access, which was later extended indefinitely. In July, the council initiated contempt of court proceedings against Unite for breaching the order. And on October 12 the council returned to the High Court with further allegations of violations, including protests obstructing depots and vehicles. What was not said was that these actions by workers were a response to the council employing agency work to undermine the strike, which is illegal.

Now, following the megapicket, the council sought a six-month injunction to prohibit further unauthorised protests supporting the strikes, a move that drew widespread condemnation. The injunction prohibits "unknown individuals" from engaging in protest activities supporting Unite the Union strikes without council consent. It forbids entering or obstructing specific depots and blocking council vehicles. Lawful picketing and protests that do not obstruct waste services remain permitted. Violations of the injunction could lead to up to two years imprisonment, fines, or asset seizure for contempt of court [2].

"This is an act of pure cowardice by Birmingham City Council, backed by their unelected commissioners," Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler said. "This council's contempt for its own workforce and the people of Birmingham could not be clearer."

"We and our supporters will not end our solidarity with Birmingham's bin workers. You cannot ban solidarity," he added [3].

Reports from the council itself indicate that its intransigence, leading to the drawn-out struggle, and its efforts to break the strike, had incurred an estimated cost of £33.4 million, though Unite argues that £56 million would be a more realistic figure [4]. Lost revenues from bulky and commercial waste collections, alongside direct costs like street cleansing and mobile waste services, could, as the union points out, be more effectively allocated toward honouring previously negotiated agreements with the bin workers. Indeed, according to Unite, a "ballpark" agreement had been negotiated at ACAS earlier last year but was blocked by the council's commissioners.

The public authority in Birmingham has been systematically wrecked in recent years, significantly including the effects of severe government funding cuts, culminating in its alleged "bankruptcy" in August 2023, which served as a pretext for placing a group of government-appointed commissioners in control of the city's affairs. As Workers' Weekly pointed out [5], how a city council can be declared financially bankrupt is the height of capital-centric irrationality. The massive value created by the services it provides could not be clearer as the effects of this strike unfold.

Rather, this so-called bankruptcy has been the excuse to appoint commissioners representing private interests, in what amounts to a coup at the level of local government. These commissioners were handed control of the council by the previous government in October 2023, which appointed six commissioners and two political advisors to oversee the council. The commissioners effectively exercise control over the council via extensive powers, to push through a "recovery" plan, which involves selling assets, cutting services, and increasing council tax.

The strain of the ongoing strike, coupled with council inaction and the punitive measures aimed at suppressing dissent, is causing lasting damage to Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. As the bin workers and their allies prepare for future actions, including possible additional megapickets, the steadfast commitment to fighting for their claim, the dignity of their labour, and defending their conditions remains clear. The demand of all in Birmingham, as the strike approaches its second anniversary, is that the dispute must be resolved. The bin workers are determined not to be marginalised. Enough Is Enough!

Notes
1. "Birmingham bin strike megapicket live as city collections axed", James Cartledge, Harry Leach, Birmingham Mail, January 30, 2026
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmimgham-bin-strike-megapicket-live-33326270
2. "Waste Injunction for Persons Unknown", Birmingham City Council, February 3, 2026
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/WasteInjunctionPersonsUnknown
3. "Birmingham council accused of cowardice as it seeks ban on protests in support of bin workers", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-accused-cowardice-it-seeks-ban-protests-support-bin-workers
4. "Birmingham council report on spending £33m to break bin strike still likely to underestimate costs by millions", Unite the Union, January 19, 2026 ", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/january/birmingham-council-report-on-spending-33m-to-break-bin-strike-still-likely-to-underestimate-costs-by-millions
5. "Birmingham bin strikes The Voice of the Bin Workers Must Prevail!", Workers' Weekly, October 18, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-24/ww25-24-01.htm

J Singh

Farmers' Mahapanchayat in Jind, part of country-wide farmers' actions on Republic Day, January 26, 2023.

January 26 marked the 76th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of India. It's a time for reflection and drawing conclusions about the state of affairs when a constitution concentrates all power of the state and governments in the hands of elites.

According to data collected, every 15 minutes four Dalits and Adivasis are subject to atrocities. Every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalit men are murdered and 11 are beaten. Every week, 13 Dalits are murdered and houses of five Dalits are set on fire. In the 76 years of this constitution, hundreds of millions of Dalits have been subjected to atrocities.

Tractor march in West Bengal, January 26, 2023.

This Republic Day finds tremendous amounts of wealth created by workers, farmers and toilers concentrated in few hands of the corporate families Adani, Ambani, Tata, Birla and others. The data released by national and international organisations and agencies announces this stark reality. Income inequality looms large over India, and wealth inequality even larger. The richest 10 per cent hold 65 per cent of the wealth in the country; the top one per cent alone holds about 40 per cent. This Republic Day also finds most of Indian cities choking people with toxic air, broken roads, piles of garbage, filthy streets and traffic jams.

According to government data, in the last 76 years, more than 140 million children have been killed by malnutrition. Another 150 million children have been killed by drinking dirty water. More than 40 million people have been displaced by "development" projects. All the concessions that people had won by shedding torrents of blood are under attack and the ruling elite has withdrawn even the right to vote of millions of people.

It's not a coincidence or about bad people in power, whose main qualifications are their corrupt character, ability to swindle, lie and persecute the peoples who rebel against them. The current state of affairs is the result and development of the path chosen by those to whom power was transferred by the British in 1947. They were collaborators of the British one and all when the constitution was framed in a manner to deprive the people of their right to take the decisions which affect their lives. Those who framed the Constitution of India did not want to break with the colonial institutions with which their interests were intimately tied. They opted to continue a form of colonial rule without the colonialists directly implicated because their collaborators took their place, serving the same interests. It does not come as a surprise that more than 90 per cent of the Constitution of the Republic of India is comprised of the Government of India Act promulgated by the British in 1935 [1].

One can see how much the colonial act of 1935 is incorporated into the Constitution of the Republic of India [2]. In fact, a large number of colonial laws are still on the books, enforced even today, because this legalises and facilitates the loot, plunder, suppression and genocide carried out by the ruling elites.

Farmers' Mahapanchayat in Jind on Republic Day, January 26, 2023

The first three words of the preamble of the constitution "We the People" are the most deceptive. The peoples of India had nothing to do with the framing of the constitution. At that time, the franchise, based on property considerations, was limited to 12 per cent of adults. In what were known as the princely states which made up 60 per cent of what comprised the territory of India at that time, elections did not take place. Only in 40 per cent of India were elections held. Close to 50 per cent of those considered qualified to vote did not vote. In other words, "we the people" comprised then and continues to comprise today those who framed the constitution to safeguard the interests of a handful of monopolies and landlords.

The constitutions of all liberal democracies established in the 18th and 19th centuries used the word people to mean white men with property. Slaves were considered property acquired in foreign conquest. Women were considered property and the colonial peoples were considered less than human. When the oppressed peoples fought for 200 years against brutal colonial rule and finally were accorded the right to vote, the kind of state established did not recognise their right to govern.

In the 20th century, the framers of the Indian constitution were forced to enshrine universal suffrage, provisions for reservations and limited workers' rights, and to make other concessions to quell the struggles of the people. Experience shows that, in the absence of enshrining enabling legislation which provides the right to elect and be elected with meaning to achieve the right of the people to vest the decision-making power in themselves, it is hollow indeed.

The 76th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of India finds the people of India - women, farmers, workers, students, youth, tribal peoples and intellectuals - on the barricades of the struggles being waged all over India to affirm the peoples' Right to Be and in defence of the rights of all and to make sure the natural environment is also protected. They are fighting in factories, fields, streets, courts, assemblies, schools, universities and all other arenas. It also finds the peoples of India developing their own outlook and the kind of consciousness required to save humanity and the planet from the vicious attacks of the oligarchs to maximise their profits. As the corporate criminals intensify their attacks, the streets of India are resounding with Inquilab Zindabad, Sarbat Da Bhala (Long Live the Revolution, Equality for All) and One Humanity One Struggle, Another World Is Possible.

People of India have discovered from their own experience that liberal democracy enshrined in the constitution of 1950 does not affirm them, their rights and their being. No matter how loud the ruling elite and their parties shout from Red Fort or TV channels, people are finding out that their security depends on their struggle and unity. As Bhagat Singh wrote:

Usey Fiqr Hardam Naya TARZ E Jaffa Kya Hai
Hamein Hai Shauq Dekhen Sitam Ki Intiha Kya Hai

(Oppressors are devising new means of oppression everyday
Our passion is to end all oppression)

With these thoughts, people across India are wishing a happy Republic Day to all and are appealing to join all those who are fighting for renewal and renovation of all relations between humans and humans and humans and nature. Farmers in all parts of India are carrying out tractor marches to highlight their demands and determination to build a better world that ensures a life of dignity and justice for all.

Notes
1. Government of India Act, 1935
2. Constitution of India, January 26, 1950
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/237570/

(TML Monthly Supplement, January 2026)