STOP THE WAR,
NOW

Iran is on the brink of a dangerous and dark scenario. The confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side and the Islamic Republic on the other has created a situation in which the lives of ordinary people are once again placed at vast risk. At the same time, the 47-year struggle of the people of Iran against the Islamic Republic is unfolding within this same moment of crisis.

 

Countless Have Paid A Heavy Price Already
For forty-seven years, the people of Iran have resisted oppression and injustice by Islamic Regime. They have fought for freedom from a regime that has imposed systematic repression on society, on workers, on women, and on minorities. Throughout these decades, countless people have paid a heavy price, sacrificing their lives and livelihoods, including the powerful uprising Women-Life-Freedom in 2022. Yet despite this immense cost, the people of Iran have not lost hope. Their struggle has continued, and the voice of their resistance has reached the world.

Today, however, the imposed war between external military powers from US and Israel and the Islamic Republic threatens to turn the lives of ordinary people into a battlefield. The military objectives of powerful states, and the responses of the Islamic Republic, only produce devastation and bloodshed. The people themselves become the victims, reduced to cannon fodder in a conflict that has nothing to do with their own aspirations or their long struggle for freedom.

What the world must demand is the immediate cessation of violence, bombardment, and military escalation against the people of Iran. This war must end without delay. Missiles, and bombs do not bring freedom, neither from within Iran nor from outside it. The people of Iran themselves have demonstrated through decades of struggle that genuine liberation cannot be delivered by military forces from outside Iran.

 

The Devastation Continues For Generations
The consequences of war extend far beyond the moment of destruction. When a bomb strikes a home, it does not only take lives in that instant. The trauma, devastation, and social damage continues for generations. The war taking place today could shape the lives of two or three generations of Iranians. The evidence can be seen in the genocide in Gaza over the past two and a half years carried out by Israel. It will take generations for the Palestinian people to recover.

The war brings no freedom, or liberation in such devastation. Real change comes when people themselves organise, mobilise, and decide collectively to remove an oppressive system and replace it with a new social order that reflects their aspirations. This is the path sought by the people of Iran.

 

This Will Be A Power Grab Free For All

At the same time, we are witnessing certain political forces, both within Iran and among parts of the Iranian diaspora, who attempt to justify or encourage this violence.

 

Some defend the Islamic Republic in the name of “anti-imperialism,” while others, including monarchist and nationalist groups, welcome the pressure from Trump and Netanyahu in the hopes of gaining power. These forces represent dangerous political alternatives. They do not represent the interests of the people and must be critically exposed. Like the governments currently engaged in confrontation, the Islamic Republic, the United States, and Israel, their primary concern is power, not the well-being or freedom of the people.

 

Our Model For Democracy

The Iranian people themselves already represent a powerful alternative. The majority of Iranian society, millions of workers, women and men who labour under difficult conditions, young people, students, nurses, teachers, and doctors, have continued their struggles with determination and radical demands for change. The alternative emerging from these struggles is the establishment of a council-based system of governance, often described as a system of popular councils. Such a system places decision-making power in the hands of collective democratic bodies representing different groups and sectors of society. It is a model that seeks to avoid violence and concentration of power, and instead build a free, equal, and democratic society through collective participation and decision-making. Many of us support this alternative.

 

Anxiety And Mis-imformation Is Everywhere
At this moment, Iranians living abroad are also under immense emotional pressure. Many families spend their days and nights anxiously following the news, worried about the safety of their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with them. Their voice is our voice.

 

Helping The Diaspora
Our organisation is committed to supporting members of the Iranian community during this difficult time. We are prepared to provide psychological support for those who need a space to speak and share their concerns. We also aim to help provide accurate information at a time when misinformation spreads rapidly. In addition, as part of our upcoming Nowruz program, we intend to hold a memorial gathering to honour those whose lives have been affected or lost during the tragic genocide by the Islamic Regime against protesters in January 2026 and the current war by the United States and Israel.

We call for an immediate end to war and violence, and reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Iran in their struggle for freedom, dignity, and a just future.

Halaleh taheri
Founder & Executive Director of Middle Eastern Women and Society Orgnsation-MEWSo