The Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ Movement Committee expresses its deep sorrow and utter indignation following the brutal assassination of Yanar Mohammed, a prominent leader in the struggle for women’s equality and human rights. This heinous act occurred on March 2, 2026, at 9:00 AM Iraqi time in Baghdad.

Yanar Mohammed, the President of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and a distinguished member of the Central Committee of the Communist Alternative Organisation, was critically wounded in a targeted attack by two unidentified terrorists on a motorcycle in front of her residence. Tragically, she passed away shortly after being transported to the hospital.

As a tireless advocate for equality and a dedicated communist activist, Yanar Mohammed’s life was a testament to the fight against oppression. Her assassination is a monumental loss not only for the women’s movement in Iraq but for the internationalist struggle for justice and the global working-class movement. Her courage inspired activists far beyond the borders of Iraq, including those within the Iranian labour and freedom movements.

The Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ Movement Committee strongly condemns this act of terror. We demand that the Iraqi government take immediate and decisive action to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. We stand in firm solidarity with Yanar’s family, her comrades, and all defenders of women’s and workers’ rights worldwide during this period of mourning.

The legacy of Comrade Yanar Mohammed will remain a guiding light in the hearts of all freedom fighters in the region and across the globe.

Solidarity Committee with the Iranian Workers’ Movement
3 March 2026

The military attacks by the United States and Israel against Iranian cities must stop immediately. This war is a disaster for the ordinary people and the working class of Iran.

Key Demands and Facts:
Immediate Halt to Bombing: We strongly condemn the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran. We demand an immediate end to the bombing. War only brings mass killings and destruction to the lives of innocent people.

Independent Global Solidarity: Labour movements and left-wing forces worldwide must raise their voices against this war. However, this must be done on an independent basis, not as part of coalitions with groups that back the Iranian regime. Our solidarity is with the people, not the oppressors.

War Crushes Internal Struggles: For years, Iranian workers, women, students, and teachers have been fighting for their rights and for a better future. This war gives the Islamic Republic an excuse to suppress these protests and silence the movement for change under the pretext of “national security.”

The Danger of “Iraqi-ization”: History shows that foreign military intervention does not bring freedom.

In Iraq (2003): The war led to over 460,000 deaths and years of chaos.

In Afghanistan, two decades of war resulted in 6.1 million people being displaced.

We must prevent Iran from facing the same tragic fate.

Economic Disaster for the Poor: The people of Iran are already suffering under a massive economic crisis.

Inflation is over 40%.

More than 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.
War will only make basic needs like food and medicine impossible to find for the toiling masses.

Our Message:
The U.S. and its allies are not “saviours.” Their goal is to control the region’s political and economic map. At the same time, the Iranian regime uses this war to stay in power and stop the people’s movement.

The only way to a bright future for Iran is through the organised struggle of its own people; the workers, the teachers, women and the youth.

No to War! No to the Regime!

Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ Movement!
28 Feb 2026

Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic has initiated a new wave of widespread repression. Under the guise of “national security” and “espionage,” the regime has intensified arrests, executions, and militarisation of public life. These actions not only continue but also escalate systemic violence used to suppress social and political dissent, especially targeting workers, women, and those seeking freedom in Iran.

The death penalty, widely used in Iran during both the Shah’s reign and under the Islamic Republic, has once again become a tool of fear. Whether applied in cases of political opposition, espionage, or common criminal charges like drug offences or murder, it remains a method of state violence that fails to address the root causes of crime, which are mainly socioeconomic. These executions, often carried out without a fair trial and under medieval judicial codes, must be condemned unequivocally.

The regime is exploiting the aftermath of the war not only to distract from its internal crises but also to reassert authoritarian control. It weaponised fear of foreign invasion, poverty, joblessness, and insecurity to suppress the growing freedom movement. The Islamic Republic’s propaganda machine wraps this repression in nationalistic and militaristic rhetoric, attempting to co-opt public sentiment under the guise of “patriotism” while launching brutal attacks on political and labour activists, women, and especially Afghan refugees.

Systematic Racist Violence Against Afghan Refugees

One of the most horrific outcomes of this war has been the brutal campaign against Afghan migrants and refugees in Iran, many of whom come from the poorest sections of society. Mass deportations, racist provocation, and the criminalisation of Afghan lives have escalated to new levels of brutality.

As of 6 July 2025, the Iranian government has issued a mass deportation order for all undocumented Afghan refugees. This decision endangers up to 4 million people, a quarter of whom are children, with the risk of arrest or forced expulsion. Many are being deported without food, shelter, or financial resources into a devastated Afghanistan.

These actions reflect the worst fascist and racist tactics historically used by regimes to blame minorities and migrant workers. Similar to xenophobic attacks on African or Middle Eastern migrants in Europe, or Latino workers in the U.S., this campaign in Iran unjustly scapegoats Afghan refugees for poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, shifting blame away from the ruling class responsible for these issues.

An Attack on the Entire Freedom Movement

The Islamic Republic’s campaign is not just an attack on Afghan refugees; it is also an assault on the entire working class and the freedom movement in Iran. The same regime that silences women, executes dissidents, impoverishes workers, and imprisons unionists now aims to divide the people by spreading racial hatred.

But our message is clear: the enemy is not the Afghan worker, the refugee, the migrant, or the oppressed. The enemy is the Islamic Republic and its class war against the people.

We Demand:

1. An immediate halt to all executions, particularly those justified by allegations of espionage and political dissent. The use of the death penalty must be abolished.
2. The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.
3. Hold the Iranian regime accountable for using war as a means of internal repression and seek reparations for all victims of Israeli bombings and regime violence.
4. Call for a halt to all deportations of Afghan refugees. Deportation is a form of collective punishment, racism, and a crime against humanity.
5. An end to nationalist, racist propaganda used to justify repression, militarism, and economic violence.

Call to Action

We call on workers, teachers, students, feminists, human rights activists, and anti-racist organisations around the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and Afghan refugees. Build networks of support and resistance. Expose the Islamic Republic’s propaganda. Defend political freedoms, workers’ rights, and the dignity of every human being, regardless of nationality, race, or religion.

This is not just a struggle in Iran—it is part of the global fight for justice and freedom.

In solidarity,
Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ movement (SWIW)

11 June 2025

Following the 12-Day Iran-Israel War, the Islamic Republic has initiated a new and brutal wave of widespread repression. The conflict, which saw direct military confrontation between the two states, was immediately followed by a severe internal crackdown. Under the guise of “national security” and “espionage,” the regime has intensified arrests, executions, and the militarisation of public life. These actions not only continue but also escalate the systemic violence used to suppress social and political opposition, especially targeting workers, women, and those seeking freedom in Iran.

The State’s Vengeance: A Surge in Executions and Repression

The Islamic Republic is taking its vengeance on the people in Iran and against the mass popular movement that had forced it to make concessions. The regime’s propaganda machine wraps this repression in nationalistic, patriotic, and militaristic rhetoric, while launching brutal attacks on political and labour activists, women, and other dissenting voices.

Workers’ Protests and Strikes: Despite the intensified repression, the working class continues its struggle. In the months following the war, there has been a significant wave of protests and strikes across various sectors. Notably, oil workers at over 50 refineries and offshore platforms staged protests in August 2025, and the demonstrations continue today, demanding higher wages, better benefits, and improved job safety. Furthermore, widespread protests by retirees, teachers, and other sectors continued into November 2025, demonstrating the deep-seated economic and social discontent that the regime is attempting to crush with its post-war crackdown.

Escalation of the Death Penalty: The death penalty, widely used in Iran as a tool of state violence, has seen a horrifying surge in the months following the war. Authorities have executed over 1000 people thus far in 2025, marking the highest number of yearly executions in decades. The month of October 2025 alone saw at least 241 executions, a nearly 50% rise compared to the previous year, and the highest monthly toll in 20 years. This brutal campaign disproportionately targets political prisoners, ethnic minorities, and those sentenced on vague charges like “espionage” or “enmity against God,” all in the absence of fair trials. This must be condemned unequivocally.

Prisoner Resistance and Hunger Strikes: In response to the escalating violence and executions, prisoners across Iran have been actively resisting. The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, launched by political prisoners, has entered its 93rd consecutive week, uniting prisoners across 54 prisons in protest against the rising number of executions. Furthermore, political prisoners have resorted to prolonged hunger strikes as their only means of protest against the inhumane conditions and the death sentences. Most notably, in October 2025, approximately 1,500 death-row prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison near Karaj staged a massive, seven-day hunger strike to demand the abolition of the death penalty. This collective action, which was supported with a range of protest actions outside the prisons, forced officials to announce a temporary 6-month suspension of executions, deep-seated opposition to the regime’s brutality even within the walls of its prisons.

Systematic Racist Violence Against Afghan Refugees

The regime attempts to segregate the population in the country into “Iranians” and “non-Iranians,” as evident in its shameful propaganda and systematic racist violence against Afghan refugees.

One of the most horrific outcomes of this war and subsequent crackdown has been the brutal campaign against Afghan migrants and refugees in Iran, many of whom come from the poorest sections of society. Mass deportations, racist provocation, and the criminalisation of Afghan lives have escalated to new levels of brutality.

As of July 6, 2025, the Iranian government has issued a mass deportation order for all “undocumented” Afghan refugees. This decision endangers up to 4 million people, a quarter of whom are children, with the risk of arrest or forced expulsion. Many are being deported without food, shelter, or financial resources into a devastated Afghanistan. Such a racist policy is facing a growing backlash in society, with many people providing shelter and support to those facing deportation.

An Attack on the Entire Freedom Movement

The Islamic Republic’s attempt is an assault on the entire working class and the freedom movement in Iran. This movement shows no signs of receding and has continued despite crackdowns. The same regime that targets women, impoverishes workers, and imprisons unionists is trying to segregate and divide the population in Iran by enacting racial and discriminatory laws.

We Demand:

1. An immediate halt to all executions and the abolition of the death penalty.
2. The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.
3. Immediate end to the militarisation of living and the workplace. Immediate support for all victims of the Israeli bombings.
4. Halt to deportations of Afghan refugees, as a form of collective punishment, racism, and a crime against humanity.
5. An end to nationalist, racist propaganda used to justify repression, militarism, and socio-economic violence.

Call to Action

We call on workers, teachers, students, women’s rights activists, human rights activists, and anti-racist organisations to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and condemn the Islamic Republic’s enactment and enforcement of racial, social, and other divisions and segregations. Defend political freedoms, workers’ rights, and the dignity of every human being, regardless of nationality, race, gender or religion.

This is not just a struggle in Iran—it is part of the global fight for justice and freedom.

Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ movement (SWIW)

5^th Nov 2025

Workers and women in Iran continue to protest for their rights and freedoms. Workers in sectors such as oil, steel, and elsewhere have struck for better pay and improved conditions; women have continued to resist the Islamic Republic’s repression.

The regime has responded with yet more repression and has stepped up executions and attacks on women. Rapper and singer Toomaj Salehi is among those who have been sentenced to death for supporting protests. Moreover, dozens of trade union activists have been arrested, and many jailed. Women’s rights activists have also faced detention, and female students have been poisoned in schools. The regime is now attempting to use the threat of attacks from Israel and its warmongering response to whip up nationalist sentiment to distract from the conditions faced by the Iranian people. A regional war will only serve the reactionary agenda of Israel and Iran’s rulers.

The Iranian regime is a capitalist neoliberal regime that uses execution and state terror to maintain its power and spends the wealth produced by workers to support regional proxies and destructive wars. Iran’s ruling class practices patronage and embezzlement and enriches itself via capitalist enterprises while workers and the poor in Iran face sharply declining living standards.

On International Workers’ Day, 2024, we will march as a contingent on the London May Day march to express our solidarity with workers and women in Iran. The rights we fight for – liberty, equality, and workers’ democracy – must be universal, or they are meaningless.

As well as jailing trade unionists and attacking labour activists, the Islamic regime of Iran violates numerous workers’ rights, including:

• The right to establish and join independent unions
• The right to bargain collectively
• The right to strike 

Join us on May Day to say:

• Solidarity with workers, women, and youth in Iran
• No to compulsory hijab laws and sexual apartheid; for women’s rights in Iran
• No to regional war
• Capital punishment is state murder: no to executions
• Free jailed trade unionists and political prisoners
• Expose the representatives of the anti-worker Iranian regime at the International Labour Organisation
• For freedom, democracy, and equality for all: for international socialism

This contingent has been initiated by the Committee for Solidarity with the Iranian Workers’ Movement (SWIW). We welcome cosponsorship from any network or organisation committed to solidarity with Iranian workers’ struggles.

Meet us in Clerkenwell Green at 12:00 – Look out for the SWIW banner.