The recent uprisings in Iran have shaken the regime of the Islamic Republic. For our comrades at the Anarchist Front in Iran, who wrote this text, it is now necessary to apply strategies derived from anarcho-syndicalism to address the root causes of the problems faced by the people without allowing imperialist interests to establish themselves in the country. ---- The 2025-2026 protests in Iran highlight the structural vulnerabilities of the Islamic Republic, which stem from decades of economic mismanagement, international sanctions, and authoritarian governance. The collapse of the Rial, exacerbated by corruption, subsidies to foreign militias, and isolation from global markets, has eroded public trust, transforming daily hardships into a catalyst for broader dissent. Unlike the 2022 protests, which were sparked by a single incident[1], this uprising is fueled by widespread socio-economic grievances, amplifying its reach in urban bazaars, rural provinces, and universities. The regime's response, relying on the brute force of the IRGC[2]and the Basij[3], has further fueled the escalation, as evidenced by armed clashes and the formation of militias. Moreover, the persistence of the protests despite repression highlights a shift: Iranians appear less fearful, their slogans evolving from economic demands to explicit calls for regime change. However, fragmented leadership and limited international support could undermine the movement's sustainability, as Western attention remains divided. If nothing is done, this could lead to a tipping point, similar to the fall of Syria in 2024. Overall, the unrest reveals the theocracy's inability to address root causes such as corruption and inequality.
Rally in Nishapur on January 9. The Iranian regime's policy of censorship and communications shutdowns makes it particularly difficult to get information and photos out.
Wikimedia
Anarcho-syndicalism, which emphasizes worker self-organization, direct action, and the abolition of hierarchical structures, offers the population a framework for dismantling the roots of corruption and oppression in the Islamic Republic.
Anarcho-syndicalist solutions
This perspective views the state and its theocratic-capitalist alliances as inherently exploitative, perpetuating inequality through control of labor and resources and repression. Key strategies include promoting independent workers' unions-free from state or religious control-to coordinate general strikes in sectors such as markets, oil refineries, and utilities. These strikes could paralyze the economy by drawing labor away from corrupt institutions and redirecting it toward community needs, such as mutual aid networks for food distribution and self-defense collectives. Through horizontal assemblies, participants could practice direct democracy by forming councils that connect urban traders with rural farmers and students, rejecting top-down leadership to avoid co-optation.
Direct actions, such as occupying workplaces and public spaces, would challenge the regime's authority without resorting to external interventions, which often reinforce imperialism. By cultivating solidarity across ethnicities and social classes, these efforts could erode the IRGC's base by appealing to disillusioned soldiers as fellow workers. Ultimately, the goal is a stateless society where production is collectively managed, eliminating the foundations of corruption through voluntary federations that prioritize human liberation over profit or dogma.
A History Paved with Contradictions
Iran's position in this landscape is that of a contested battleground, embodying resistance to Western domination while simultaneously being entangled in rival imperial orbits. The Islamic Republic positions itself as a bulwark against the "Atlantic imperialist order," aligning itself with Russia and China in groups such as the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to challenge US-imposed sanctions and isolation. Iran's anti-imperialist rhetoric draws on the 1979 revolution that overthrew the US-backed monarchy and presented the new regime as a defender against the colonial legacy. However, this position masks internal contradictions: theocratic authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, and proxy wars (as in Syria and Yemen) serve as tools of regional influence, often at the expense of domestic freedoms, echoing colonial divide-and-rule tactics.
The current popular uprisings fall within this framework as popular rebellions against internal oppression and external imperialist pressures. The protesters' demands for regime change ("Death to Khamenei") underscore how Iran's defiance of US imperialism has been transformed into a tool of internal repression, where anti-imperialism becomes an "imperialism of fools" that justifies corruption and inequality. These uprisings echo the historical cycles of Iranian resistance, from the 1979 revolution to the 2022 protests in support of Mahsa Amini. But in a multipolar context, they risk being co-opted by competing powers. Russia and China support the regime through arms, trade, and diplomatic cover in order to counter US influence. Meanwhile, the West amplifies the protests to justify sanctions and potential intervention, presenting them as a liberal and democratic struggle rather than a class or anti-colonial one. This dynamic illustrates multipolar colonialism: Iran's sovereignty is eroded not by a single empire, but by a network of rival interests where popular struggles become pawns in the games of the great powers, marginalizing genuine self-determination.
Anarchist Front (Iran), translated and edited by the UCL International Relations Committee
[1]The death of Kurdish student Mahsa Jinna Amini.
[2]Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
[3]Paramilitary militia within the IRGC.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Iran-Une-lutte-pour-redonner-le-pouvoir-au-peuple
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Link: (en) France, UCL AL #369 - International - Iran: A Struggle to Return Power to the People (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]
Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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