Iranian party slams leaders comments on Israel

In an Oct. 29 statement, the Tudeh Party of Iran denounced President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his statement earlier that month calling Israel a “disgraceful blot … that should be wiped off the face of the world.”

“The Tudeh Party of Iran and all progressive forces of Iran and the world condemns this foolish and vain posturing,” the statement said.

The Tudeh Party is Iran’s Communist Party.

The TPI further argued that the comments — contradicting the position of the TPI, the Palestinian Authority and others that Israel has a right to exist side-by-side with a Palestinian state — further isolated Iran and played into the hand of imperialist aggression.

“It was predictable that the United States and its allies in the European Union would take advantage of Iran’s stance and orchestrate a comprehensive campaign against Iran, the first results of which were the unanimous condemnation of the Iranian president by the UN Security Council and the EU,” the TPI said. “Tony Blair, the British prime minister, who has the current chairmanship of the EU, mentioned the possibility of military action against Iran for the first time. Condoleezza Rice also counted Iran’s current policy as a clear justification for America’s anti-Iran policies, and accused the Iranian regime of supporting international terrorism.”

The TPI also accused the “ruling reaction” of helping the U.S. and Britain by making nuclear provocations.

The TPI said the despotic regime and the president, whom they say was elected fraudulently, are using the provocations to divert attention away from the people’s deteriorating living standards.

“We call upon all popular, democratic, and liberal forces of our country to do their utmost for the creation of a broad anti-dictatorship front,” it said.

None of this should be any reason for letting the U.S. or Britain off the hook for their hostile policies toward Iran and its people, the TPI said.

“We … declare our vehement opposition to the policies of the United States, Britain, and other capitalist countries that are trying to take advantage of the present situation to advance their own imperialist agendas in the Middle East. We strongly condemn any new military action in the region and against Iran, under whatever pretext, and warn about the dire consequences of such actions for the people of the region and for international peace.”