Bikrum Gill, International Political Economy Researcher and Author of the book “The Political Ecology of Colonial Capitalism: Race, Nature, and Accumulation”
Opposition to the war against Iran in the West often involves separating the “people” of Iran from the Islamic Republic—similar to the imperialist discourse previously used against Iraq (“Our target is Saddam, not the Iraqi people”), Libya (“Saving civilians”), and Syria (“Supporting the people, not the regime”). This framework ignores the real objective of the war:
Revolution against Imperialism
The Islamic Republic, born from the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah, has for 46 years firmly refused to normalize relations with Israel, rejected U.S. dominance, and supported Palestine. These positions have made Iran the main regional target of imperialism.
The Resistance Front
This reflects Iran’s pivotal role in expanding support for the resistance front during the era known as the “end of history” (including Egypt’s normalization with Israel and the disarmament of the Palestine Liberation Organization). Iran’s backing helped establish groups like Hezbollah.
Anti-Colonial Material Challenge
Abandoning the ideals of the 1979 revolution and the Palestinian cause could have opened economic relations with the West, but Iran chose national sovereignty and independent development over appeasement. Despite harsh Western sanctions, Iran managed to partly overcome them by leveraging an alternative international economic architecture.
The Danger of Artificial Divisions
Thus, the Western bloc’s increasing military pressure aims to destroy a ruling structure that materially supports anti-colonial resistance and exemplifies development outside Western frameworks. Genuine anti-war solidarity must oppose aggression and reject the false people/rule distinction that legitimizes imperialist war.
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