A new nuclear deal is now probably on the cards, says Yassamine Mather. But Iran’s conservatives, US Republicans and the Israeli government are fuming At a time when the western media is totally focussed on facts and fiction about Ukraine, we do not hear much about the Iran nuclear negotiations, even though a lot seems… Continue reading Putting two and two together
Category: Articles
In the final round
Neither Russia nor China can afford to come to the rescue. Yassamine Mather shows that for Iran a great deal hangs on the results of the Vienna negotiations After months of discussion at the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action talks in Vienna, Iran’s minister of foreign affairs, Amir Abdollahian, admitted on January 24 that its… Continue reading In the final round
Dismal political failings
There can be no excuse for taking money and doing the bidding of neocons and reactionaries. Yassamine Mather savages the so-called ‘people’s tribunal’ which took place in London last week When Iranians ask me why the European and US left seems to have nothing to say about workers’ protests in Iran and at times appears… Continue reading Dismal political failings
Bitter fruit of imperialism
Islamist jihadism is a modern, not an ancient, phenomenon. Yassamine Mather looks at causes, social roots and terrible consequences In the aftermath of every Islamist terror attacks in America, Europe or the UK, such as the stabbing of Tory MP David Amess, we hear the ‘analysts’ and media pundits come up with the same nonsense… Continue reading Bitter fruit of imperialism
Centrality of class independence
Khomeini and the clergy completely outmanoeuvred the left. But it need not have been that way. In his second and concluding article on the role of oil workers in the 1979 revolution, Peyman Jafari stresses the complex nature of ideology and class consciousness On January 12 1979, two weeks after the Oil Strikes Coordinating Committee… Continue reading Centrality of class independence
Surviving against all the odds
Why are the leaders of the Islamic Republic still looking so confident? The answer lies in the dismal failures of the global hegemon, argues Yassamine Mather The ceremonies marking the inauguration of the new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, could not have come at a worse time for the country’s rulers. Despite Raisi’s repeated reassurances that… Continue reading Surviving against all the odds
The Imam, the strikers and the black, black oil
There are rich lessons for today in the experiences of the oil strikes of 1978. In the first of two articles Peyman Jafari charts the incredibly difficult struggle for organisation, hegemony and strategy “We are melting away,” lamented the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, on December 26 1978 in a phone tap of a conversation with… Continue reading The Imam, the strikers and the black, black oil
Anger finds open expression
From Isfahan to Tabriz, Karaj to Tehran, the slogans are clear: ‘Death to the dictator’, ‘Shame on Khamenei’, ‘Hands off Iran’. Yassamine Mather reports on the upsurge of protests Protests over the lack of clean water that started in the Iranian province of Khuzestan have now spread to other parts of the country. In Lorestan,… Continue reading Anger finds open expression
Same old, same old
The election of Ebrahim Raisi hardly signals a major change, writes Yassamine Mather. Yet, while the left remains confused, opposition to the regime is palpable The result of Iran’s presidential elections, held on June 18, came as no surprise. In a low turnout of just 48.8%, 62% voted for Ebrahim Raisi, while there were an… Continue reading Same old, same old
Highlights of ‘democracy’
Not only are the candidates useless: the pundits are worse. Yassamine Mather reports on the presidential election campaign, as it enters its closing straight The most depressing side of watching the third TV debate between the remaining candidates in Iran’s presidential elections on June 18 and the analyses and comments both inside and outside the… Continue reading Highlights of ‘democracy’