This article was originally published on February 28, 2026, and revised to fit updated publication standards on October 10, 2026.
For months, leftists, anti-imperialists, and anti-war activists have been told by the so-called #FreeIran movement to “listen to Iranian voices”—just not the ones from within Iran, pushing back against foreign intervention on a wholly domestic issue.
Instead, we were instructed to listen to the diaspora, many of whom have little to no stake in the issue, as well as a small handful of anarchists and monarchists within Iran who seek the reinstatement of the Shah. Interestingly, protests held in “solidarity” around the world featured “a surprising number of Israeli flags,” and in Munich, Germany, protestors chanted, “We are Aryans. We don’t worship Arabs.”
“US and Israeli attacks have struck 24 provinces across the country, leaving 201 people dead and 747 wounded,” says Iran’s Red Crescent Society. They pointed to “eighty-five killed, mostly young girls, after a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran.”
Strong reactions from the international community
Hours after the joint strikes by the American and Zionist regimes, multiple countries and international organizations reacted to the renewed tensions.
China’s MFA voiced strong concerns over the military strikes, reaffirming Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. China called for an immediate stop to hostilities; no further escalations of the tensions; and a resumption of dialogue, negotiation, and efforts to uphold peace and stability in the region.
Antonio Guterres, who serves as the United Nations (UN)’s Secretary-General, condemned the strikes, noting that the escalation “undermines international peace and security” and risks pushing the region into full-scale war and “a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.” He noted that the current trajectory runs counter to the purposes and Charter of the UN.
Russia’s MFA similarly noted that the joint airstrikes were a “premediated and unprovoked act of armed aggression” against a sovereign UN member state, in clear violation of international law.
“Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction, and human misery,” and in any armed conflict, it is civilians who pay the ultimate price, noted UN human rights chief Volker Turk. “I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason.”
“Israel seeks, through this escalation, to evade ending its occupation of [the] Palestinian territories, to prevent the establishment of an independent state, and to obstruct Palestine’s admission to the UN in implementation of the two-state solution and the core principles of international legitimacy,” suggests Maged Abdelaziz, who is the League of Arab States’ representative to the UN.
It is to be noted that in Montréal, Canada, a celebratory parade hosted by diasporic Iranians featured “at least one Israeli flag” and at least two imperial standards. Similar parades were seen across other Western countries.
Voice of the Proletariat reiterates our firm commitment to anti-imperialism and supports Iran’s right to defend its borders and populace as a sovereign state. Further, we ask the so-called “#FreeIran movement” if the hundreds of Iranian lives taken by the joint US-”Israeli” assault are an acceptable outcome in the push for US-led regime change.