The year 2026 began with images of protests in Iran, massive street battles, corpses, destruction, and displacement. From Rojava to Aleppo, Rojhilat, and Tehran, people are rising up against exploitation, oppression, and external domination. Since October 7, the various interests of regional powers in the Middle East have increasingly come to the surface, but above all the interest of the imperialists—first and foremost the USA—in securing their hegemony in the Middle East has become obvious. The genocide in Gaza, the bombardments of Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran. Oppressed nations such as the Kurds and the Palestinians are particularly targeted. But what exactly is happening right now, and what conclusions must we as young people here in Europe draw from these developments?
Iran: From economic strike to political protest
On December 28, 2025, bazaar merchants in Teheran decided to take to the streets due to inflation and the devaluation of the Iranian currency. These protests marked the beginning of a revolutionary situation that managed to build on the political demands of the protests of 2017, 2019, and 2022, linking them with economic demands and merging them into a single major call: an end to the Mullah regime. Because merchants are traditionally part of the mass base of the Mullah regime, the protests were initially greeted by the regime and met with understanding. However, within a few days, the protests spread to students and workers. The strong and rapid participation in the uprisings in Iran’s colonies such as Rojhilat (East Kurdistan) and in Baluchistan further intensified the situation and enriched it with their military and revolutionary experience. Unlike at the beginning of the protests, the Iranian regime went on to respond with its apparatus of military, violence, and mass killings. By now, there are reports of thousands of deaths, and more and more images are emerging of countless people in body bags.
Simultaneously, US President Donald Trump reacted to the protests by posting on X: “MIGA – Make Iran Great Again” and “help is on the way.” It is no secret that Iran is a thorn in the side of the USA in the Middle East, as the Mullah regime represents the interests of Russian and Chinese imperialism in the region. For the USA, it would be of great importance, in securing its own hegemony, to change this situation, and a regime change would suit it very well. To enforce this, it has already threatened military intervention and has especially sought to activate monarchist forces around the son of Shah Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi, who is already making Instagram videos stating that he will recognize the state of Israel, restore the “friendship” with the USA and pursue the expansion of the Abraham accords as soon as he is in power. But a different slogan is echoing from the streets of Iran: “Neither Mullah nor Shah!”
It would be wrong to understand the protests in Iran, in Baluchistan, and in Rojhilat as a project of US imperialism, or conversely to call for an imperialist intervention to overthrow the Mullah regime. Various Iranian, Kurdish, and revolutionary organizations are currently preparing to use the movement and the protests as an opportunity to fight for a democratic revolution in Iran. The PJAK (Partiya Jiyana Azad a Kurdistanê/Kurdistan Free Life Party), for example, currently maintains a ceasefire with Iran but has repeatedly made clear at its conferences that it is preparing for armed resistance if this becomes necessary. Should the USA launch an attack on Iran, this would not mean freedom for the oppressed people of Iran, but quite the opposite: the goal would be to force the entire Middle East to its knees. Much remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the Mullah regime is facing a crisis of legitimacy and will not continue to exist in its current form for much longer. The peoples of Iran are in a revolutionary situation.
Freedom for Rojava – Democracy for Syria
At the same time, images from Syria and Rojava are currently accompanying us on our phone screens. The jihadist forces of HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham), supported by Turkish fascist militias, have for days been attacking the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo—Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê—massacring civilians, and have now moved to a direct attack on the democratic self-administration, on Rojava by attacking Deir Hafir. Since the fall of the dictator Assad and the Baath Party, Syria has been in a long transitional period. HTS, a former offshoot of the jihadist Al-Qaeda, has under the leadership of al-Jolani become a puppet of US imperialism in the Middle East. The goal of Assad’s overthrow last year—just as now in Iran—was to push back Russia’s influence in the region and to break the axis of resistance, which is primarily supported by Iran, thereby securing Israel’s expansion and position in the war against the Palestinians. Just last week officials from the USA, Israel and HTS met in Paris to discuss new ways of communication – a step towards naturalizing the relationship between Israel and Syria in the region.
However, with the advance of US imperialist interests, the contradictions among regional powers have also intensified. The main actors within this contradiction are Israel and Turkey, both of whom pursue an expansionist project within the region that is founded on a pseudohistorical and fanatic state ideology. Either a Greater Israel or a Turkey within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Both of them are backed by US-Imperialism and while Israel is a full grown pillar of US politics in the Middle East, Turkeys more conflicting relationship to various imperialist countries does not undermine the influence NATO and the USA have on it. Within this margin both actors enter into strategic opposition to each other but only insofar as the USA is trying to align the interests of both states on the basis of its imperialism.
Opposed to this advance of US imperialism through the support of jihadist groups stands the democratic self-administration in North and East Syria, which emerged as a result of the Kurdish-led Rojava Revolution in 2012 and serves as a foundation for the democratic coexistence of different peoples in North East Syria. But the Rojava Revolution is not only a democratic Revolution of the Kurds and all other peoples living in the region, it also has the significant character of a women’s revolution. This means that within the self-administration practical steps towards the autonomous and self-determined organization of women within a communal and council based society have been taken. In March 2025, there was an agreement between the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) and HTS with an eight-point plan for a jointly governed Syria. Some of these points include the right of return and the recognition of Kurdish identity, as well as the integration of the self-administration’s large army into the general Syrian army. Instead of fulfilling all points, the ceasefire was repeatedly broken by HTS through the murder of Alawites, Kurds, and Druze. There was no return of refugees, and national rights have also not yet been implemented. The only point that has so far been particularly important for HTS is the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army and Rojava into the Syrian state structure. This is ultimately also the reason for HTS’s attacks on the Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and its threat to attack Rojava as an autonomous region. HTS will therefore fight any form of Kurdish autonomy, whether political, territorial, or military. We are once again faced with the situation: neither Assad nor HTS. Because HTS remains a jihadist force that functions as a proxy of the USA for the reconstitution of Syria, and ultimately the massacres, persecution, and attacks must be understood as part of this imperialist policy.
With the attacks on the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê, and on the self-administration, the reaction of the imperialists reveals its true face. It appears that the USA is willing to jeopardize its cooperation with the SDF in order to ultimately support HTS in its plans. Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen met with Jolani last week and granted him the blessing of the EU along with several million euros. That Jolani is a former Al-Qaeda functionary who is now massacring democratic and women-liberation forces no longer seems to matter. On the contrary, Jolani is expected to visit the German government in the coming days.
The ultimate goal is to dissolve the Rojava Revolution. Turkey has pursued this goal since the existence of the revolution as part of its genocidal ambitions against the Kurdish people and is therefore also sending its militias to support the attack. Because as long as the Rojava Revolution exists, the material reality of Kurdish self-determination exists, which weakens Turkeys position in negotiations with the PKK. From the Turkish perspective, resistance is not only to be ended on Turkish state territory, but in all four parts of Kurdistan. A Kurdish sovereign state would be a dangerous reality to the fascist idea of expanding the Turkish territories. This is why Turkey has a particularly strong interest in attacks on the democratic self-administration and the eradication of all achievements of the Rojava Revolution. However, just as it was during the resistance of Kobane, today, thousands are taking to the streets in Turkey, to show their support for the revolution and pressure the fascist Turkish government.
Palestine: Ceasefire and Trump’s golden Riviera
The genocide against the Palestinian people by Zionist Israel continues. Even though the ceasefire came about largely because the population remained steadfast in its resistance, the Israeli state continues to attempt to destroy Palestinian existence both in Gaza and in the West Bank.
October 7 marked a turning point in the history of the occupation and a qualitative shift. The full extent of Israel’s genocidal and colonial violence became visible before the eyes of the world. Now the Palestinian resistance is also facing a situation in which the USA is attempting to completely break the axis of resistance by encircling Lebanon and especially Iran. In this situation, it is more important than ever to strengthen the national unity of Palestine—from the West Bank to Gaza—and to resist attempts to impose an administrative occupation and disarmament, as envisioned in the Trump plan. The struggle for self-determination and national liberation in Palestine is a struggle that necessarily spans over various ideologies. Now, more than ever it is important to mobilize all forces against occupation, build alliances and continue to struggle for a free Palestine also from within the belly of the beast. The Global Sumud Flotilla has shown which direct influence practical international solidarity can have in triggering mass movements that significantly pressure the zionist regime.
What all these developments in the Middle East show us is this: wherever the oppressed attempt to resist colonialism, external domination, and imperialism, everything possible is done to destroy their resistance. In a time where the global capitalist system is in crisis, the big powers are looking towards war in order to maintain their domination and control over the global market. The Middle East is the key to energy reserves, resources and trade routes that are strategic – especially to the USA – in holding its own against China and Russia in a possible Third World War.
The struggle for Kobane, the Palestinian resistance, and the Rojava Revolution have shown that even under the most difficult conditions, the oppressed have managed not to submit and to free themselves from the yoke of imperialism and colonialism. Let us today also defend the achievements of the Rojava Revolution and the self-determination of peoples. Whether in Venezuela, Greenland, or the Middle East—we are pushing back the attacks of US imperialism. Because today it is our task as socialists to defend the existing revolutionary centers in Palestine, Kurdistan, Colombia, India, and the Philippines and also to get ready for bold moves by the imperialists that could trigger a Third World War. We will not participate in their brutal projects against humanity and declare war on war!
We call on everyone to take to the streets for a coordinated action day on the 17.1., but beyond that to build solidarity committees and not let the imperialist go about their business remain unanswered. For this, actions which confront media facilities, weapon manufacturers and all institutions complicit in the war against the people of the world can be organized.
From Kurdistan to Palestine, down with imperialism—the power lies with the oppressed!