After a brief let-up, military conflict between the USA or one of its proxies and Iran is again a serious possibility, with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert making ever more belligerent statements over Iran’s nuclear capabilities and George Bush announcing a ‘troop surge’ in Iraq. These developments have posed sharply the need for the world’s anti-war movement to mobilise effectively, to avoid yet another terrible imperialist slaughter.

Unfortunately, not everyone has responded in the most positive fashion. Although nobody barring rightwing hawks seems to be in support of a new war this time around, on the left some groups consider it a matter of principle to suspend criticism of the Iranian regime. This is not only deeply suspect on its own terms, but counterproductive. This regime is thoroughly reactionary – it has brutally broken strikes and suppressed the students’, women’s and democratic movements.

Those who act as apologists for the regime expose themselves as hypocrites and, more importantly, reduce the effectiveness of the anti-war movement. Although paying occasional lip-service to those struggling against the theocracy, Campaign Iran in practice resorts to defending Ahmadinejad, even pretending that he and his cronies are not trying to develop nuclear weapons – as ludicrous as proposing that Israel does not already have them.

For the anti-war movement to be of any use to Iranians, this has to stop. Our passionate opposition to imperialist war must not prevent us from standing in solidarity with the Iranian people against the repressive forces of their reactionary state.

For more information about the campaign against imperialist war and for principled solidarity with the Iranian workers’, women’s and democratic movement visit www.hopoi.org.