The US imperialists continue to step up their policy of blackmail and sanctions on Iran. In particular, the right of the Iranian nation and people to pursue their own civilian nuclear program is being targeted, portraying it as a “threat to humanity”.
The US imperialists continue to step up their policy of blackmail and sanctions on Iran. In particular, the right of the Iranian nation and people to pursue their own civilian nuclear program is being targeted, portraying it as a “threat to humanity”.
The Iranian government has squarely accused Israel and the US and Britain for the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan on January 11. Media sources have reported how Israeli Mossad agents organized and executed the car bomb attack on the scientist, instantly killing him.
In a protest note to the US, delivered through the Swiss Embassy in Teheran, the Iranian government has said that “The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the inhumane assassination, calls on the U.S. government to provide an immediate explanation, seriously warns about its repercussions, and calls on the (U.S.) government to stop supporting any kind of anti-humanitarian terrorist action against the lives of Iranian citizens, which is in contravention of international rights and the relevant commitments and pose a serious danger to international peace and security. In addition, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to pursue the issue.”
In a similar note addressed to the British government, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has referred to the remarks made by MI6 chief Sir John Sawers on October 28, 2010, in which he is reported to have said, “Stopping nuclear proliferation cannot be addressed purely by conventional diplomacy. We need intelligence-led operations to make it more difficult for countries like Iran to develop nuclear weapons.” It expressed its protest against this stand of the British government and held the British state responsible for such terrorist killings.
It may be noted that in the last two years, three scientists and academics in Iran have been killed in similar terrorist attacks.
In a demonstration of solidarity with the killed scientist and the struggle for the right of Iran to pursue its own civilian nuclear program, free from imperialist interference and dictate, more than thousand students in several universities across Iran have come forward to study nuclear sciences and engineering, in order to volunteer their services for their country’s nuclear program.
Following a report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s nuclear program in November 2011, the United States, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions against Iran. The European Union has announced that it will impose sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank and Iran’s crude exports, effective from June 2012.
It must be noted that many countries in the EU, including crisis ridden Greece, are crucially dependent on oil imports from Iran, with they have long standing agreements. The EU, dominated by Germany and France, is trying to act as a martyr, that they are allegedly being "principled" even though the result of the sanctions will affect the oil prices and economy and the living conditions of working masses all across Europe. The fact is that the conquest of Libya has given France another source of oil under the control of France, Britain, US and others.
Neither the US, nor Britain or the EU are talking about the cruel impact of sanctions on the people of Iran, a country crucially dependent on oil as was Iraq and Libya. They are really only concerned with the imperialist ambitions of carving out the crucial oil resources for themselves, and denying it to their potential rivals, especially China, India and the East Asian countries. This is one of the reasons the Indian state has taken a stand so far that it will not abide by EU or US sanctions, but only those agreed by the UN. At the same time, the pressure on all these countries is enormous.
In response to the US threats to impose sanctions on Iran’s crude oil exports, the Iranian authorities have reiterated their warning that if the US imposes sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, then Iran will block the Strait of Hormuz as a defensive measure and “won’t allow a drop of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.” The straits of Hormuz belong to Iran. The various gulf states concocted by the British imperialists to corner the oil of the region, have to export their oil through this Gulf.
The US imperialists have warned Iran against any attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the world’s most important oil passages, and have threatened to go to war to prevent any such attempt.
The group of countries called the P5+1, that is Russia, Germany, Britain, France, China, and the U.S., have also held several rounds of discussions regarding sanctions against Iran. Efforts are on to prevent various countries such as India from having trade and other economic relations with Iran.
The US imperialists continue to support and goad on Israel in its aggressive posturing and attacks on Iran. According to recent news reports, Israel has threatened to attack Iran, even without explicit consent of US.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to have diplomatic, economic and other relations with Turkey, Equador and other Latin American countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, based on mutual benefit. Iran is one of the leading countries working for a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East.
Iran, a country with an ancient civilization and a proud, patriotic people, continues to be a thorn in the flesh of the US and other imperialist powers, for its undaunting stand in defence of its sovereignty and its right to pursue its own economic and political system, independent of any imperialist dictate or interference. That is why Iran is the target of vicious US imperialist led blackmail and pressure and the most crippling sanctions that threaten to severely affect the lives of its people. But the government and people of Iran are refusing to submit to the imperialist pressure. The working class and people of India stand by the Iranian people and condemn the US led imperialist blackmail and sanctions against Iran.