Yassamine Mather

Latest articles by Yassamine Mather

An acronym versus the hegemon

America and its arrogant bullying is much resented. But, asks Yassamine Mather, does the expanding Brics alliance represent a viable alternative?

From Glasgow to Baghche

Yassamine Mather recalls her time in Kurdistan and the courage and determination, as well as the failings, of the militant Fedai opponents of the Islamic Republic

Uncertain times

Donald Trump’s appointments give us a clue about what to expect, but nothing more. Meanwhile Arab countries are asserting their independence out of fear of their own people, says Yassamine Mather

Threat to nuclear sites increases

Though Trump is only president elect he is already changing the politics of the Middle East. Things have become even more dangerous, says Yassamine Mather

Israel’s latest attack on Iran stayed clear of nuclear and oil facilities. In turn Iran’s response has been decidedly muted. One thing is certain, though, writes Yassamine Mather, if Donald Trump is elected on November 5, everything changes

Preparations for what?

Leaked documents give us a hint about what Israel is planning to do against Iran. Meanwhile, almost unbelievably, it is readying northern Gaza for colonisation, writes Yassamine Mather

Leave or starve

Threats to halt the supply of some arms owe more to next month’s presidential election than any real concern for the population of north Gaza. Meanwhile, the world awaits Israel’s latest ‘retaliation’ against Iran. Yassamine Mather reports on a region spiralling into hell

Waiting for the payback

Though they have been repeatedly condemned as haram, some leading elements in the Iranian regime want to go for nuclear weapons, warns Yassamine Mather

Itching for war on four fronts

Tehran’s theocratic regime has fallen into a ‘trap’ of Netanyahu’s making. With Israel wanting to fight Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon and Iran, the whole region looks in danger of being dragged down into a terrible conflagration. Yassamine Mather looks to the revolutionary politics of the working class

Third war begins

Despite supposedly working ‘tirelessly’ for peace, the US is doing nothing to hold Israel back. Yassamine Mather warns that the war on Lebanon could conceivably see Iran dragged into the conflict

No illusions in Histadrut

There is no possibility of a united Jewish-Arab working class politics at this historic juncture. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is using every and any excuse to keep the war in Gaza going, writes Yassamine Mather

Don’t bank on ayatollahs

There are those, including on the ‘left’, who credit the Islamic Republic with being a bulwark of ‘anti‑imperialism’ and potentially the nemesis of Israel and US hegemony, writes Yassamine Mather

Not two equals

Despite the reactionary nature of the Iranian dictatorship, there can be no drawing of an equivalence with Israel. Netanyahu’s government is doing its utmost to turn the West Bank into another Gaza and drag the whole region into war, says Yassamine Mather

Trying to provoke a wider conflict

Assassinating a Hezbollah, then a Hamas leader, is yet another dangerous escalation. Meanwhile, notes Yassamine Mather, general Sir Roly Walker talks about an ‘axis of upheaval’ and being three years from war

No solutions on offer

Masoud Pezeshkian was elected on a wave of unenthusiasm. Yassamine Mather looks at the challenges facing the new president

Don’t expect much

Most voters did not vote. That might or might not change in the second round. But, says Yassamine Mather, whatever happens, the supreme leader will remain in charge

Not about to be overthrown

What will the presidential election mean when it comes to sanctions, corruption and the economic woes of the mass of the population? Yassamine Mather looks at the candidates and their rival factions

Losing battle of ideas

Lining up to be president

Iran’s Islamic regime will ensure that the right man is ‘elected’ to replace Ibrahim Raisi. Yassamine Mather reports on what is for the moment a crowded field of candidates

University tops call cops

Inspiring and impressive. Yassamine Mather reports on the student protest camps in Oxford and the support they are getting from the staff and the town

Your next president will be

Winning in June depends on who the supreme leader favours. Yassamine Mather also says that being elected president can amount to a poisoned chalice

Encamping against genocide

Yassamine Mather reports from the city of dreaming spires and student protest

In the end of times

Militarily Israel and Iran are in different leagues. However, says Yassamine Mather, when it comes to popular opinion in the Middle East, Israel is completely isolated - apart, that is, from the ruling circles doing the bidding of the United States

Online Communist Forum, Sunday April 21 5pm

Israel and Iran: war spiral provides cover for ethnic cleansing and genocide. Speakers: Moshé Machover and Yassamine Mather

Just what Israel wants

Despite its criminal repression, the Iranian regime should not be equated with the genocidal Zionist state, argues Yassamine Mather. In the global pecking order, Israel is way towards the top

A paper tiger revealed

Israel is acting in an ever more bellicose fashion, doing everything it can to provoke war with Iran. Yassamine Mather looks at the Damascus consulate attack

War on the airwaves

Nation shall speak unto nation. Yassamine Mather looks at the truths, half-truths and outright lies being broadcast to Iranians and asks who was behind the stabbing of Pouria Zeraati

Part of the establishment

There are still those who look to Hezbollah and the opening of a second front to save the Gazan population from genocide. But the last thing Hezbollah wants is war with Israel, writes Yassamine Mather

Keeping control over Arab street

Israel’s ethnic cleansing and potential genocide in Gaza has seen the region’s autocratic regimes clamp down on popular protests. Yassamine Mather sees anger below and fear above

Sound and fury of battle

Once pan-Arab socialism counted as a real force in the world, its most famous leader being Gamal Abdel Nasser. Yassamine Mather looks back at his heady rhetoric and ultimate failure

Rivals or allies?

It was not in revenge for Kerman. Yassamine Mather explains what really lay behind the recent missile attack on Pakistan

A drop in the ocean

Houthis are no mere proxies of Iran, argues Yassamine Mather. They have their own political goals and agenda

Orders for a killing

Assassinating political opponents frequently has a paradoxical effect: instead of weakening and defeating, it strengthens, argues Yassamine Mather

After October 7

The war in Gaza has to be put in regional, global and historic context. Moshé Machover talked to Yassamine Mather at a Voice of Revolution meeting held online on December 20

Threats mask timid actions

Yassamine Mather says that neither the US nor Iran want an all-out war, but after the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut and the bomb attacks on Qasem Soleimani’s admirers, tensions are reaching breaking-point

Islam and Christianity

Yassamine Mather looks at the connection between various religious festivals

Hamas and its backers

Plenty of talk, but precious little action. Gaza offers the opportunity for the Arab masses to rise up and overthrow their own governments, writes Yassamine Mather

A potent cause

Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza creates complex problems for the dictatorial regimes in the region. Yassamine Mather examines the different responses both from above and below

Rhetoric and double talk

How will the Islamic Republic react to Gaza? Yassamine Mather explains why the masses are for the moment largely passive and how that could easily change

The nature of the beast

Could the Soviet Union be described as a ‘workers’ state’ of any type? Drawing on the groundbreaking work of Hillel Ticktin, Yassamine Mather says that the only serious answer must be an emphatic ‘no’

Part of the western order

Yassamine Mather is not celebrating the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize won by Narges Mohammadi, a liberal but brave human rights activist. She is being cynically used as part of the ideological preparations for a military attack on Iran

Foot in mouthery

Every September the United Nations general assembly hosts a get-together of leaders. Yassamine Mather zeroes in on the Iranian president’s embarrassing contribution

A year of defiance

Despite countless protest demonstrations and at least 500 deaths the Islamic regime still clings to power. Yassamine Mather calls upon the left to think seriously about strategy, mass organisation and a party

Double standards on show

While the morality police are back on patrol, top figures in the regime are renowned for preaching one thing and doing another, writes Yassamine Mather

Fifty years of socialist theory

Yassamine Mather looks at the role of the journal founded by Hillel Ticktin in 1973

MEK’s strange journey

Nowadays they are the darlings of the neocon right, but most consider them a loony cult. Yassamine Mather traces the evolution of the ‘holy war’ fighters

Veiled lessons

Yassamine Mather spoke to Anne McShane at a Hands Off the People of Iran meeting. Given the recent wave of arrests in Iran and new legislation reinforcing the wearing of the hijab, the experience of the Soviet Union’s Zhenotdel in the 1920s is of particular relevance.

An unofficial deal?

Iran and the United States seem to be talking about the nuclear issues again. Yassamine Mather reports on the latest round of diplomatic negotiations and manoeuvres

Dreadful notes of preparation

Yassamine Mather looks at the high-stakes diplomatic game being played out and the danger of cold war turning into a hot war

Confessions of a rat

Yassamine Mather gives her judgement on an extraordinary talk and subsequent BBC interview with the former governor of the notorious Evin prison

Patterns, prejudices and interests

It can be fun to discover the limits of chatbots, says Yassamine Mather, but democratic control is vital. AI will be used as a weapon in the class war

Disenchanted with the west

Yassamine Mather gives her impressions of Turkey after 20 years of AKP rule and the evident failure of secularism from above

Dynasty after dynasty

The last shah liked to boast of a history that made the House of Windsor look like mere parvenus. But, as Yassamine Mather shows, there were numerous breaks, conquests and regime changes brought in from the outside

Ex-shah’s nonentity son

Twenty years after the Bush-Blair invasion of Iraq, this catastrophe is still a potent factor in the politics of Iran. And yet, as Yassamine Mather reports, there are still those exiles who hanker after a repeat

Hijab defiance continues

Yassamine Mather reports on the regime’s attempt to regain its authority and the splits and divisions in the royalist camp

From order to chaos

Why has so much of the left collapsed into social-imperialism? Why the continued illusions in US intervention? Mike Macnair talked to Hands off the People of Iran in a meeting hosted by Yassamine Mather

Shifting interests and alignments

The Saudi-Iran deal brokered by China is bad news for the US, but especially Israel, says Yassamine Mather

Weapon-grade talks

Tehran has adopted a conciliatory stance over uranium enrichment and severe punishment for those responsible for poisoning schoolgirls. Yassamine Mather reports

Pahlavi has a bad day

Yassamine Mather gives an update on the mixed fortunes of the Iranian exile right, the illusions of the soft ‘left’ and the shortcomings of the internal opposition

Whose constituent assembly?

As the stalemate between the Islamic Republic and the mass opposition movement continues, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of the 2009 Green movement, has called for a constituent assembly. Yassamine Mather has translated this excerpt from an article by Torab Saleth which deals with the constituent assembly from a leftwing point of view

Centrality of involvement

In light of the mass upsurge in Iran sparked by protests against the hijab, Yassamine Mather asked Anne McShane to speak about the lessons of history, in particular the fight against bourgeois feminism in the Second International and the role of Bolshevik women in Russia

Oil workers join protests

All manner of tiny cracks are opening up at the top levels of the theocracy. Yassamine Mather looks behind the often arcane disputes

Protests and the bigger picture

Dangers of war are increasing and the masses refuse to be intimidated, but the left is mired in confusion. On January 9 Hands Off the People of Iran hosted an online meeting addressed by Moshé Machover and Mike Macnair. Yassamine Mather opened with these remarks

The struggle continues

Executions and long prison sentences have failed to intimidate the spontaneous protest movement. But conscious leadership by a revolutionary party is indispensable, argues Yassamine Mather

Strikes on Student Day

The leaking of documents gives us a glimpse of the conflicts within the regime that the protest wave has caused, Yassamine Mather reports

Workers’ mass protests

Yassamine Mather reports on strikes and protests in Iran

Widespread and larger

Splits are widening at the top, the protests are continuing to grow, but there are still illusions in US-sponsored regime change. Yassamine Mather comments

Rebuild on solid foundations

Yassamine Mather celebrates the continuing mass protests, recognises their limitations, laments the parlous state of the left and urges unity around the basic principles upheld by Hopi

Tragedy second time too

Yassamine Mather celebrates the current wave of mass protests, the youth, the bravery. However, lack of serious organisation, coordination and a strategic plan is a real problem that must be addressed

Something has to give

Mahsa Amini’s killing at the hands of the morality police sparked protests in every province. The young, in particular female students and school students, refuse to be ruled in the old way. However, the Islamic regime seems determined to keep on using mass repression, fear and the cloak of religion, says Yassamine Mather

Beware of concerned neocons

Workers, teachers, students, school students, need solidarity from below, argues Yassamine Mather

Protests challenge the regime

Across the whole country, in every city, in every town, there is revolt. But does ‘post-nationalism’, rather than class politics, provide the solution? Yassamine Mather investigates

The killing of Mahsa

Yassamine Mather says the imposition of the ‘full hijab’ by the Gasht-e Ershad morality police is a class issue. Richer Iranian women, the well-connected, have little to fear

Loyal to king and capital

Yassamine Mather takes issue with those on the left who think the SNP is ‘left of centre’

Nearing an n-deal

Despite Israeli military provocations and strenuous diplomatic objections, a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme is on the cards, writes Yassamine Mather

More talk than action

Arab and Iranian solidarity with Palestine leaves a lot to be desired, writes Yassamine Mather

The prince and the terrorist

Yassamine Mather explores the fabulously rich bin Laden family and the links between the Middle East’s efficient royals and Britain’s dignified royals

No support for either side

War crimes investigations and trials are not just a continuation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by other, legal, means. There is, Yassamine Mather shows, a grisly connection with the Middle East

Fist bumps and pariahs

Russia seeks allies and arms, the US seeks allies and oil. Yassamine Mather reports on the diplomatic moves and the nuclear threats

Yet another failure

Ibrahim Raisi’s government faces major challenges - not least the Doha talks over a possible nuclear deal. Yassamine Mather reports on the latest negotiations and the growing swell of internal economic protests

A no deal or a deal

Yassamine Mather looks at the cyber attacks, assassinations and airstrikes and the danger of an all-out war if the nuclear negotiations finally fail

Deaths, deals and demonstrations

There are growing mass protests, but very little, if anything, in the way of conscious organisation. Under these contradictory circumstances the left must avoid the temptation of giving up on basic anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist principles, insists Yassamine Mather

Luxury amidst poverty

Soaring prices and shortages of basic foodstuffs have triggered anti-government protests and riots, reports Yassamine Mather

MBS goes ballistic

Disillusioned with the US, Riyadh refuses to condemn Russia, threatens to become a nuclear power and pivots towards China. Yassamine Mather investigates the shifting politics of the Middle East

No quick fix

Mimicking the sun and producing power using nuclear fusion has long been a dream and it appears that will be the case for a long time to come. Yassamine Mather explains

Continuing escalation

Despite the Ukraine war and a pending nuclear deal, Iran is still firmly in Israel’s sights, reports Yassamine Mather

Taking a principled position

Yassamine Mather takes to task the left in the Middle East and north Africa over Nato and Russia’s invasion

First Iran, now Russia

Sanctions, whether ‘targeted’ or not, inevitably affect the mass of ordinary people, argues Yassamine Mather, while those at the top use them to tighten their grip on power

Swift as a weapon

Sanctions imposed on Russia will hurt, but not only are there definite limits, they were long expected, writes Yassamine Mather

Putting two and two together

A new nuclear deal is now probably on the cards, says Yassamine Mather. But Iran’s conservatives, US Republicans and the Israeli government are fuming

In the final round

Neither Russia nor China can afford to come to the rescue. Yassamine Mather shows that for Iran a great deal hangs on the results of the Vienna negotiations

From right to right

Yassamine Mather investigates some of the well-paid ‘independent’ experts and journalists who constantly appear in the western media

Economy in meltdown

Amid unpaid wages, soaring inflation and daily protests in Iran, the Vienna negotiations drag on, reports Yassamine Mather

Rise of the killer machines

It is no longer dystopian sc-fi. Yassamine Mather looks at the race to develop and deploy autonomous lethal weapons

Vienna means everything

Negotiations are proceeding through carrot and stick brinkmanship on both sides. Meanwhile, reports Yassamine Mather, workers are striking and protesting out of sheer desperation

Dismal political failings

There can be no excuse for taking money and doing the bidding of neocons and reactionaries. Yassamine Mather savages the so-called ‘people’s tribunal’ which took place in London last week

Bitter fruit of imperialism

Islamist jihadism is a modern, not an ancient, phenomenon. Yassamine Mather looks at causes, social roots and terrible consequences

Honouring the victims

On October 9 a group of Iranian revolutionaries, now mainly based in North America and Europe, organised an online meeting to commemorate the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. Among the speakers were Yassamine Mather, Shahin Chitsaz and Mike Macnair

Media muddle

Yes, they are deeply reactionary, writes Yassamine Mather. But they have learnt to survive, adapt and win

Rightwing hopes dashed

After the scuttle from Afghanistan, reality is finally sinking in for the royalist, cultist and paid-for ‘regime change’ advocates, writes Yassamine Mather

9/11 twenty years on

The full facts about Saudi complicity are still unknown. But we do know that the ‘war on terrorism’ had nothing to do with fighting terrorism, only spreading US terrorism. Yassamine Mather looks at the aftermath of September 11 2001

No longer a US problem

Undoubtedly the region’s powers see opportunities with the Americans gone, but mostly they see dangers. Yassamine Mather looks at the prospects now that the Taliban are back in Kabul

Surviving against all the odds

Why are the leaders of the Islamic Republic still looking so confident? The answer lies in the dismal failures of the global hegemon, argues Yassamine Mather

Anger finds open expression

From Isfahan to Tabriz, Karaj to Tehran, the slogans are clear: ‘Death to the dictator’, ‘Shame on Khamenei’, ‘Hands off Iran’. Yassamine Mather reports on the upsurge of protests

Our strike is spreading fast

This statement, translated from Persian, gives an insight into the many challenges faced by the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers in standing up to employers and the government

Mossad’s people

Yassamine Mather investigates the murky world of deep penetration, sabotage and assassination

Workers unite in huge protest

Yassamine Mather welcomes the post-presidential election upsurge in strikes

Same old, same old

The election of Ebrahim Raisi hardly signals a major change, writes Yassamine Mather. Yet, while the left remains confused, opposition to the regime is palpable

Highlights of ‘democracy’

Not only are the candidates useless: the pundits are worse. Yassamine Mather reports on the presidential election campaign, as it enters its closing straight

Seven are the doors to hell

Yassamine Mather reports on the new restrictions, the disqualifications and what passes for debate in the presidential election campaign

Signs of decay

Yassamine Mather looks at Iran’s presidential hopefuls and what passes for their rival programmes

Electioneering without candidates

Yassamine Mather attacks the sham presidential election and the imperialist-financed opposition alike

Israeli nuclear terrorism

Yassamine Mather looks at the ongoing low-intensity war and the latest attack on Natanz

Not in the room

With the US still not directly involved in the negotiations, Yassamine Mather considers prospects for a revived nuclear deal

AI and our tasks

Yassamine Mather examines the many problems posed for the workers’ movement by artificial intelligence

Time is running out

Yassamine Mather weighs up the state of play regarding attempts to revive the nuclear deal

A century of dependency

Foreign intervention did not come to an end with the 1979 revolution. No, as shown by Yassamine Mather, Iran’s Islamic rulers are more than willing to do the bidding of US-controlled international institutions

From symbol to failure

On February 8 1971, 50 years ago, the geurrillaist left began its armed struggle by attacking a gendamerie post at Siahkal. Three police were killed and two comrades rescued. Yassamine Mather spoke to Ardeshir Mehrdad. He was a member of the Organisation of Iranian People’s Fadai until 1980 and later became editor of Iran Bulletin

Principle, confusion and hope

Having looked at the birth and early years of the guerrillaist left in her first article Yassamine Mather turns to the internal struggles within the Fedai

SUPPLEMENT: Limits of guerrillaism

Mohamad Reza Shalgouni was a founder-member of the Organisation of Revolutionary Workers of Iran (Rahe Kargar). He spoke to Yassamine Mather about his strategic reassessment as a prisoner of the shah and experience of the revolutionary years of 1978-79

SUPPLEMENT: Preparing for revolution

Yassamine Mather says that the Siahkal incident 50 years ago marked a break with the passivity of ‘official communism’, but the guerrillaist left was hopelessly outmanoeuvred when it came to the reality of revolution in Iran

From copy to overtake

China has taken a technological lead in quantum computing. Yassamine Mather says this could well impact on the military balance of power

Back to the deal?

Yassamine Mather looks at the likely developments with Biden in the White House

New returns to a failed old

Yassamine Mather assesses the likely effects of a Biden presidency on a region that has suffered from repeated US acts of subversion and aggression

Prioritising own survival

Yassamine Mather reports that the death rate is far higher than the claims of the clerical regime

Plan for siege warfare

Resting hopes on a Biden victory in November’s election stems from sheer desperation, writes Yassamine Mather

Death and conspiracy

The libertarian right is peddling nonsense. Yassamine Mather issues a health warning

Rank hypocrisy on women’s rights

It seems that the Taliban are now a respectable, civilised partner at last, writes Yassamine Mather

Middle East

Despite the Israel-UAE rapprochement there can be no ‘normalisation’ in the Middle East, explains Yassamine Mather

Past weighs heavy on present

Yassamine Mather explains why sectarian corruption is lodged into the body politic

Boost to Beijing’s ambitions

Iran and China aim to circumvent a declining US hegemon, reports Yassamine Mather

Israel’s nuclear war

As Binyamin Netanyahu’s government tacitly admits its role, Yassamine Mather asks why the Iranian regime is in denial

Next supreme leader

Yassamine Mather explains why attempts to ‘root out corruption’ are not taken seriously

No war, no sanctions

Hands Off the People of Iran held a successful online meeting on May 31. There is a growing danger of a new round of conflict in the Middle East driven by US imperialism, Zionist expansionism and the general turn to rightwing nationalism. There were three opening speakers

Upping the ante

Yassamine Mather reports on the double standards, misinformation and stupidity of the ‘regime change from above’ advocates

Lies, poverty and repression

Yassamine Mather looks at the blame-gaming and likely consequences of Covid-19

Death of a radical intellectual

Yassamine Mather celebrates a brave and outspoken critic of the Islamic regime.

The war is set to continue

Trump’s agreement with the Taliban shows that the United States has comprehensively failed in achieving its stated objectives, argues Yassamine Mather.

Concealing the truth

The clerical regime cannot be relied on to provide accurate information, writes Yassamine Mather - either about Iran’s elections or the coronavirus.

Legacy of failure

Yassamine Mather shows that the passivity of Tudeh in the 1960s and 70s led to the rise of guerrillarist adventurism. Paradoxically, under the pressure of the Iran-Iraq war there was a convergence between the two currents. The Islamic Republic was supposed to be moving towards the ‘socialist’ camp.

Stalin’s ‘united front’ party

The treacherous role of the Tudeh Party after the 1979 revolution is well known. In the first of two articles, Yassamine Mather shows how the origins of its opportunism were bound up with the diplomatic interests of the Soviet Union.

The destruction factor

Judging by recent events in the Middle East, the US has abandoned all attempts to impose order. Now the world has a nihilist hegemon, argues Yassamine Mather.

No to war, no to the regime

Yassamine Mather analyses the continuing US-Iran conflict. This article is based on her talk to the January 12 meeting of Hands Off the People of Iran.

A godsend for the regime

Yassamine Mather assesses the situation in the Middle East following the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani and Iran’s missile revenge gesture

Nice British bobby

Yassamine Mather compares Radio Farda’s reporting of Iran with its touching depiction of Britain.

Regime faces new crisis

Tehran has blocked the internet in a desperate attempt to suppress protests, reports Yassamine Mather.

Met with maximum force

Yassamine Mather discusses the popular revolts against corruption, sectarianism and Iranian influence.

Second Arab spring?

As demonstrators once again take to the streets, Yassamine Mather looks at the issues involved.

Who was al-Baghdadi?

The US is boasting of yet another spectacular victory. Clearly it cannot learn from history. Yassamine Mather looks at the circumstances that produced the jihadist leader.

Warmongers and lost causes

Yassamine Mather looks at some of the groupings among Iran’s corrupted exiled opposition.

No short cut to liberation

Yassamine Mather examines the political consequences of the Kurdish movement’s alliance with reactionary forces.

West’s blood-splattered ally

Despite millions of dollars spent and support from the US, Riyadh is hardly getting things all its own way, writes Yassamine Mather.

Accusations and threats

A US attack on Iran is once again a real possibility, warns Yassamine Mather.

Victim of the global hegemon

Following Trump’s cancellation of talks, Yassamine Mather looks back at the disaster that is Afghanistan.

Looking for foreign success

Yassamine Mather asks what effect the presidential campaign will have on US relations with the Islamic Republic.

From golden age to age of austerity

Trump’s trade war with China and Brexit poses major challenges to globalised capital, argues Yassamine Mather. This article is based on a recent talk given to Cambridge University Persian Society.

Tanker wars and propaganda

The war of words between America and Iran is becoming more and more dangerous, warns Yassamine Mather

Corbyn, Tehran and fake news

Yassmine Mather shows that the mainstream media have little or no regard for the truth

Flop of the century

Donald Trump’s attempts to manufacture ‘good news’ in the Middle East have so far been a dismal failure, writes Yassamine Mather

Threats must be taken seriously

Yassamine Mather looks at the US-Iran conflict against the background of Donald Trump’s contradictory pronouncements

Only the Iranian people

Recent events have demonstrated yet again why ‘regime change from above’ will only produce chaos, destruction and death, says Yassamine Mather

Stepping up the threats

Trump is garnering support for his crusade against Iran, but there is widespread opposition too, reports Yassamine Mather

Threat of war is real

With Iran partially withdrawing from the nuclear deal and the US imposing yet more sanctions, tensions are rising fast. This is an edited version of an opening given by Yassamine Mather on the political situation in the Middle East

Silencing the right will be followed by silencing the left

Yassamine Mather looks behind the social media bans imposed in the name of ‘democracy’

True to principle

When it comes to US imperialism, Islam and Iran, the left has been deeply divided. Yassamine Mather reports on a recent BBC debate

New threats in the offing

Yassamine Mather warns that the US administration is more than willing to see the map of the entire region redrawn

Disasters waiting to happen?

Yassamine Mather examines the facts behind two tragic plane crashes and the loss of hundreds of lives

Raking in fortunes

It is workers who have been hit the most, writes Yassamine Mather, while those close to the regime have benefited enormously

Women’s rights and class struggle

Forty years ago Iranian women rebelled against the Islamic government. We should not only remember their struggle: we should uphold the original aims of International Women’s Day, says Yassamine Mather

Forty years of inequality

The US administration preferred Islamists to leftists, says Yassamine Mather

Pots and kettles

Yassamine Mather asks who is really responsible for incompetence and corruption

US and Israel yearning to unleash mayhem

Yassamine Mather examines what lies behind Israeli air strikes against Iranian targets in Syria

State department humanitarianism

No-one should fall for US support for ‘human rights’ in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The ground for intervention is being prepared, warns Yassamine Mather

Like father, like son

Reza Pahlavi’s idiotic comments show that there should be no nostalgia for the shah’s regime, writes Yassamine Mather

Illusions in ‘human rights’

Some are still taken in, writes Yassamine Mather, despite US double standards

Resistance grows in Iran

Both Trump’s threats and the regime’s neoliberal policies are being forcefully opposed by the working class, reports Yassamine Mather

Quantum computing has arrived

Yassamine Mather explains why the next generation of computers offers both huge opportunities and huge dangers

Israel and Saudi Arabia in cahoots

Saudi plans for regional domination are not meeting with much success, writes Yassamine Mather

A well known truth

Saudi Arabia is ruled by a despotic, murderous, corrupt family regime ... which could not survive two weeks without US support. The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi shines a damning spotlight on the House of Saud, writes Yassamine Mather

Trump targets Iran

Yassamine Mather says the theocratic regime in Tehran is expecting a long siege

Where are the women?

Yassamine Mather looks at one area where gender inequality looks set to continue

Strategy of Suffocation

Yassamine Mather reports on Tehran’s moves to counter US threats

Complicity in torture

The details of ‘extraordinary rendition’ are finally out in the open. Yassamine Mather looks at the UK’s responsibility for ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’

US ramps up the pressure

Principled left says no to regime change from above. Yassamine Mather gives them critical support

Not a Sunni-Shia conflict

The nightmare that is Yemen has not only been brought about by regional rivalries. US and British arms sales and diplomatic support are vital, writes Yassamine Mather

Bad allies, bad timing

Sometimes countries are just plain unlucky. Yassamine Mather looks at Iran and its fraught international relations

Allies fall out

US threats are alarming EU leaders, who fear more instability in the Middle East, writes Yassamine Mather

Seventy years of colonial terror

The state of Israel is based on war, colonial expansion and dispossession, writes Yassamine Mather

Playing Tehran’s game

Those who believe Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal will damage the Islamic Republic are badly mistaken, writes Yassamine Mather

Anger from below

Iranians are expecting the worst from both Trump and their own regime, writes Yassamine Mather

Doubts, law and grand strategy

Yassamine Mather argues that behind the cruise missile strikes in Syria lies the plan to bring about regime change in Iran

Strange road to Albania

Yassamine Mather looks at the Mojahedin-e Khalq cult backed by Trump’s national security advisor

Triple alliance piles on pressure

The threat of war could easily become the reality of war, warns Yassamine Mather

Attack on Iran could strengthen regime

Trump’s appointment of John Bolton can only mean more confrontation with Iran, writes Yassamine Mather

The role of ideology

At the end of the day the religious state functions in a way not dissimilar to that of the liberal bourgeoisie in the west, argues Yassamine Mather

‘Wrong sort’ of privatisation

In the first of two articles, Yassamine Mather examines the development of Iran’s economy since the Islamic revolution

Just and progressive struggle

No to neoliberal feminism, yes to women’s rights. Yassamine Mather calls for the left to support the anti-hijab protests

Counting the costs

For all their anti-western slogans, there is nothing ‘radical’ in any of the Tehran regime factions, writes Yassamine Mather

No to unprincipled alliances

Iranian workers should be careful about who they associate with, argues Yassamine Mather

With the protestors

Yassamine Mather counters the current misinformation about events

A courageous revolutionary

Yassamine Mather pays tribute to ‘comrade Azam’, daughter of the late Taher Ahmadzadeh

False history and lip service

Far from aiding the ‘peace process’, writes Yassamine Mather, Trump’s Jerusalem announcement will act as an encouragement to Israeli expansionism

Descent into farce

Yassamine Mather reports on crown prince Salman’s latest attempts to stoke up conflict

New alliance against Iran

In response to Trump’s ever more bellicose anti-Iran campaign, Putin has strengthened Russia’s links with the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis of resistance. The world is getting ever more dangerous, warns Yassamine Mather

Drum beat of war

Beirut is now the focus of the burgeoning Saudi-Iranian rivalry, writes Yassamine Mather

Dangerous times

The United States and Saudi Arabia seem to be readying for war against Iran, writes Yassamine Mather

Iran, Kurdistan and the left

How can we achieve principled communist unity in the Middle East? We spoke to Mohammad Reza Shalgouni, a member of the Organisation of Revolutionary Workers of Iran (Rahe Kargar)

Redrawing the map

Why is Trump abandoning the nuclear deal? Yassamine Mather looks beyond the rhetoric

Still on the cards

A US attack on Iran is far from impossible, warns Yassamine Mather

Heading for chaos

Yassamine Mather looks at the reaction to the independence referendum

Nationalism and imperial power

The Kurdish independence referendum is not a welcome development, writes Yassamine Mather

Part and parcel of global capital

Instead of creating illusions in ‘regime change from above’, writes Yassamine Mather, we must offer support and solidarity to workers like Reza Shahabi

Genuine, consistent solidarity

The clerical regime was reactionary from the start, writes Yassamine Mather - even though there were those who claimed it was ‘moving towards the socialist camp’

Overcoming misogyny

Yassamine Mather tells the story of a woman whose achievements were made against all the odds

New horrors beckon

What will follow the ‘liberation’ of Mosul? Yassamine Mather is not optimistic

An unsavoury alliance

‘Regime change from above’ cannot be ruled out, writes Yassamine Mather

So much for the ‘Arab Nato’

What lies behind the Saudi-Qatar split? Yassamine Mather investigates

The Libyan connection

Those who voted for the bombing in 2011 must share some of the blame for incidents like Manchester, argues Yassamine Mather

Still an imperialist target

Yassamine Mather analyses the significance of Hassan Rouhani’s re-election

Dictatorship and ‘democracy’

Yassamine Mather reports on the final days of the presidential election campaign

Campaign and reality

In this edited version of her speech to the CPGB aggregate, Yassamine Mather looks at Donald Trump’s foreign policy after his first hundred days

The corrupt fight it out

Yassamine Mather reports on Iran’s election charade

Not back to normal

The centre-right and the centre-left suffered defeat, but the markets are no longer in a panic. Yassamine Mather looks at the French ... and the Iranian presidential elections

Aiming to sideline ‘reformists’

Tehran’s conservative factions are trying every trick in the book to oust Hassan Rouhani. Yassamine Mather reports on the build-up to the May 19 presidential elections

Predictions amidst uncertainties

Yassamine Mather looks behind the rhetoric of the ‘resistance economy’

In Trump's sights

Yassamine Mather reports on the formation of a ‘NATO’ type alliance against Iran

Trump ups the ante

The threat of military action against Iran is once more very much on the agenda, writes Yassamine Mather

Coming full circle

Under Donald Trump the Iranian people are facing intensified sanctions and a real threat of war, writes Yassamine Mather

Trump threatens N-deal

It is time to reboot Hands Off the People of Iran, argues Yassamine Mather

After the fall of Aleppo

Opposition to imperialism does not mean support for Assad, argues Yassamine Mather, and the myth of the moderate opposition is busted

Yalda - triumph of light

Yassamine Mather explains the Zoroastrian winter solstice festival of light, Shabe Yalda, and how Iran’s ruling clerics have failed to extinguish it

Reaping the harvest

Al Nusra are not brave rebels, writes Yassamine Mather. The jihadist group has been financed and directed by the west’s allies with the sole aim of bringing about regime change from above

Iran deal dead and buried

How will the Trump presidency impact on the Middle East? Yassamine Mather looks at the possibilities

No democratic advert

Trump’s victory could destabilise the established world order. However, there are mixed reactions to the new administration, says Yassamine Mather

A tale of two cities

Yassamine Mather contrasts media coverage of Mosul and East Aleppo

Calling upon imperialism is complete madness

Yassamine Mather delivered this opening to the October 16 CPGB and Labour Party Marxists aggregate

Syrian disaster

The strategy of allying with the enemy of one’s enemy has plagued the Kurdish opposition for decades. But it is a road to nowhere, writes Yassamine Mather

Don’t rely on imperialists

The US government and various rightwing groups have feigned concern for ‘human rights’ in both Argentina and Iran, writes Yassamine Mather

Burying the scandal

The western media has shown little interest in new revelations about the slaughter of political prisoners in 1988, reports Yassamine Mather

Imperialists bearing gifts

Yassamine Mather examines the changing alliances in the war in Syria

An independent voice

How can we combat the disinformation of the mass media? Yassamine Mather discusses the problems and solutions

Legacy of Bush and Blair

Yassamine Mather comments on the Nice massacre

Not a whitewash

Yassamine Mather examines the Chilcot report and looks at a possible response

Profoundly political

Abbas Kiarostami, June 22 1940 - July 4 2016, Yassamine Mather shares her memories

War criminals all

The Labour right is guilty of much more than plotting against Jeremy Corbyn, writes Yassamine Mather

Orlando, Brexit and the media

What happens when anti-foreigner rhetoric merges with Islamophobia? Yassamine Mather describes what it feels like to be on the receiving end

Claims exposed once and for all

The CIA papers have shattered any lingering illusions in the ‘anti-imperialist’ credentials of the Tehran regime, writes Yassamine Mather

Legacy of the 2003 war

We all know who is responsible for Fallujah, writes Yassamine Mather

Pro-Zionists are false friends

We need a movement for genuine solidarity with the working class, writes Yassamine Mather

No substitute for politics

Is it really as simple as ‘social networks vs the hierarchies’? Yassamine Mather takes issue with Paul Mason

Panama and how we are ruled

Tax havens are an integral part of modern neoliberal capitalism, argues Yassamine Mather

Who are the ‘moderate’ opposition?

Amongst the chaos, new alliances are taking shape, reports Yassamine Mather

New era, new focus

The nuclear deal means we must refocus our campaigning priorities, writes Yassamine Mather

By your advisors shall you be known

Yassamine Mather takes apart John McDonnell’s pledge of responsibility

Iran’s Elections : Winners and Losers

Yassamine Mather analyses the results of elections to the majles and Council of Experts

Weapons of genocidal destruction

Nuclear weapons pose the threat of a devastating accident waiting to happen, warns Yassamine Mather

The global disorder of capital

Yassamine Mather introduces Alain Badiou’s Notre mal vient de bien loin

A lifelong internationalist

Yassamine Mather salutes a dedicated Marxist fighter

Open for business

Who will gain most from the lifting of sanctions? Yassamine Mather reports on the latest deals

A dynasty of ill-gotten gains

Yassamine Mather looks at the life of Ashraf Pahlavi who died on January 7 aged 96

Method behind the madness

While the Saudi kingdom’s callous executions must be condemned, Yassamine Mather says Iran’s official protests are sheer hypocrisy

Time to shed illusions

Only the international solidarity of our class can deliver a lasting solution, writes Yassamine Mather

Deselect the Labour warmongers

Labour is now divided into two parties. One is led by Jeremy Corbyn, the other by Hilary Benn, argues Yassamine Mather

Making matters worse

Official reaction to the atrocities in France demonstrates once again that imperialism has no answers, writes Yassamine Mather

Sharm el-Sheikh and airport screening

Yassamine Mather looks beyond the criticisms of the Egyptian authorities following the downing of Metrojet flight 9268

Compromise in the offing

With talks over Syria set to continue, Yassamine Mather reports on the contortions of the rival powers

State and internet

The hacking of TalkTalk has reminded us of the risks and compromises associated with the web, writes Yassamine Mather

There are no national solutions

Yassamine Mather pinpoints the problem with Jeremy Corbyn’s alternative economic policies

Fruits of intervention

Yassamine Mather surveys the mess that imperialism has created

Their Kurdistan and ours

Dariush Zand, communist medic

Join fight to transform Labour

Yassamine Mather points to a key decision facing next month’s Left Unity conference

Two culpable rivals

What lies behind the Mecca tragedy? Yassamine Mather looks at the facts

War and peace

Yassamine Mather looks at the contradictions in Jeremy Corbyn’s foreign policy

One shameful U-turn after another

In the name of the ‘next stage of the revolution’, reports Yassamine Mather, the SWP and its co-thinkers are once again backing the Muslim Brotherhood

Erdoğan’s twin strategy

Turkey’s ‘game-changer’ has exposed the illusions of sections of the left, writes Yassamine Mather

Part of the ‘lunatic wing’ - like Jack Straw

Smearing Jeremy Corbyn as a friend of Islamist extremists is disingenuous, hypocritical and incorrect, writes Yassamine Mather

Dependent on global hegemon

Yassamine Mather discusses the possibilities following the nuclear deal

Edging towards a deal

Yassamine Mather reports on the conclusion of Iran’s negotiations with the P5+1 powers

Destabilisation and failed states

IS terrorism has little to do with Islam, argues Yassamine Mather

Saudi dirty tricks exposed

But Riyadh will remain a key imperialist ally, predicts Yassamine Mather

In service of humanity?

Can robots and artificial intelligence be subordinated to human need? Yassamine Mather examines the issues

Least of Khamenei’s problems

The US bears the main responsibility for the current situation in Iraq and Syria, writes Yassamine Mather

Facing up to stagnation

The latest US figures are indicative of a continuing problem, writes Yassamine Mather

King promotes his favourites

What is the significance of the power struggle within the Saudi dynasty? Yassamine Mather investigates

Children of ayatollahs flaunt their wealth

In the wake of the Lausanne nuclear deal, the question of economic inequality has become central, writes Yassamine Mather

How not to arm ourselves

Yassamine Mather looks at the problems resulting from the attempt to create ‘safe spaces’ in universities and student unions

Will the deal bring peace?

Yassamine Mather examines the prospects following the Lausanne agreement

Ready to drink from the poisoned cup?

While Iran’s negotiators haggle, the supreme leader is using Shia advances in Iraq and the Houthi civil war in Yemen to divert attention from a possible beyond-the-wire nuclear deal in Lausanne. Yassamine Mather reports on latest developments

The crown under the turban

Who will come out on top, as the deadline for a nuclear deal approaches? Yassamine Mather looks at the latest claims being made about the Islamic regime

Maverick left nationalist

We reproduce below correspondence between comrade Freeman and LU national secretary Kate Hudson and also publish a statement issued by Left Unity’s Communist Platform

Amendments galore, seats decided

Yassamine Mather reports on the February 28 meeting of the national council.

Will there be a deal?

As negotiations continue, Yassamine Mather examines the intricacies of Middle East relations

The debt is illegitimate

Yassamine Mather looks at the background to the Greek crisis

Hypocrisy abounds

Yassamine Mather can hardly believe the sickening tributes being paid to the Saudi tyrant

CIA roots of Islamist fundamentalism

Did outrage caused by the provocations of an irreverent magazine provoke the Paris attacks? Yassamine Mather looks beyond this simplistic myth

Disastrous legacy

Why do some on the left call for the west to step up its intervention against IS? Yassamine Mather looks at the results of past efforts

How not to run a party

NC member Yassamine Mather reports on the December 13 meeting

The masses bear the brunt

Yassamine Mather assesses the latest extension of negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 powers

The tyranny of safe spaces

We cannot start from the premise of exclusion, argues Yassamine Mather

No safe space for women

Yassamine Mather points to the link between two outrages in the Islamic Republic

The IS conundrum

The siege of Kobanê raises more questions than it answers, writes Yassamine Mather

Preparing for 2015

The LU national council agreed that there should be no electoral coalition with Tusc. NC member and Communist Platform supporter Yassamine Mather reports

The origins, politics and economics of the Islamic State

As imperialism once again changes its allies, the left needs to stick to its principles, says Yassamine Mather

Iran, Israel and Isis

Yassamine Mather looks at the assault on Gaza in the context of the Middle East as a whole

Cold facts and conspiracy theories

Yassamine Mather examines the most likely explanation for the tragedy in eastern Ukraine

Israel's secret nuclear arsenal

Talks designed to secure an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme look like they will be extended. Meanwhile, Yassamine Mather looks at the one country in the Middle East that is already armed with nuclear weapons

Descent into regional chaos, horror and fragmentation

Bush and Blair promised democracy and prosperity, writes Yassamine Mather - a lie echoed by their social-imperialist allies

Iran: Arrogance and the supreme leader

As Iran and the US edge closer towards cooperation over Iraq, Yassamine Mather looks at the evolution of Ali Khamenei

Iraq: A disaster waiting to happen

The US and Iran find themselves on the same side and ready to cooperate, warns Yassamine Mather

Leadership meets at last

Yassamine Mather reports on the first meeting of the LU national council

Europe: Alternative to populism

Have the courage to think of a different Europe, urges Yassamine Mather

Regime still on the ropes

Deadlock over nuclear negotiations has exacerbated tensions both inside and outside Iran, notes Yassamine Mather

Egypt: ‘Road map to democracy’ sham

The coup may have been aimed at the Muslim Brotherhood, writes Yassamine Mather, but now the working class is under attack too

Six Counties can of worms

Yassamine Mather analyses the Gerry Adams arrest

Political legacy of hostage crisis

The 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran had nothing to do with ‘anti-imperialism’, argues Yassamine Mather

Imperialism, war and crisis

Yassamine Mather reports on two days of stimulating debate

End all sanctions, free the prisoners

Now is the time to step up the pressure, writes Yassamine Mather

Solidarity with women of Iran

Yassamine Mather salutes those struggling against oppression

Quotas harm the cause

The left should not succumb to neoliberalisms phoney version of equality, argues Yassamine Mather

Legacy of the Arab spring

Three years after the start of the mass revolts Yassamine Mather assesses the situation in Tunisia and Egypt

Behind the liberal facade of Rowhani

Despite the easing of sanctions and the mixed messages in Tehran, writes Yassamine Mather, the Islamic regime is thoroughly committed to the capitalist free market, not the welfare of the masses

A region in flux

Yassamine Mather of Hands off the People of Iran examines the failure of political Islam and imperialisms attempts to adjust its alliances

Iran-US: Paper tigers and false victories

The deal with Iran represents a partial, but important success for imperialism, writes Yassamine Mather

Iran: End sanctions now

Whatever the final result of negotiations, writes Yassamine Mather, it is the millions of ordinary Iranians, not their rulers, who have suffered

Iran executions: Brutal signal to opponents

Yassamine Mather reports on the latest wave of executions

AWL: Matgamna’s chauvinistic tirade

Imperialism may not have invented political Islam, writes Yassamine Mather, but it has certainly used it to its advantage

Iran: Step up solidarity

The apparent thaw in US-Iran relations could offer new opportunities for the workers movement, argues Yassamine Mather

Telephone diplomacy riles Israeli hawks and Iranian conservatives

Immediate results from the thaw in US-Iran relations will be few and far between, warns Yassamine Mather

Iran: Edging towards a settlement

US sanctions appear to have produced results for imperialism, writes Yassamine Mather

Imperialism: More than Syria in its sights

There has been a dramatic change in the politics of the Middle East, writes Yassamine Mather

Gilbert Achcar: Enough ‘humanitarian’ exceptions

Imperialist military intervention is always designed to advance imperialist interests. Yassamine Mather responds to the excuses of Gilbert Achcar

Iran: No let-up on sanctions

How long after the inauguration of the new president before disillusionment sets in? Yassamine Mather discusses the limitations of Hassan Rowhani

Progressive sentiments amidst reactionary illusions

Gilbert Achcar has strongly objected to being described as a social-imperialist in the Weekly Worker. So what is the truth about him? Yassamine Mather investigates

Egypt: Two reactionary forces

Celebrations at the fall of Mursi are understandable, writes Yassamine Mather, but no-one should have illusions in the role of the army

Egypt: Not the next stage of the revolution

Continued economic decline sealed the fate of the Muslim Brotherhood, writes Yassamine Mather. But martial law also represents a defeat for the working class and democracy

Surveillance state: What we knew already

Yassamine Mather surveils the recent UK-US electronic spying scandal

Iran election: Not a victory for progressives

A massive protest vote humiliated the conservative candidates. But paradoxically the election of a centrist can boost the regime, argues Yassamine Mather

Mars expedition: Symptom of systemic decline

There is nothing truly utopian or universalist in capitalist space programmes, says Yassamine Mather

Iran: Boycott sham elections

Yassamine Mather advocates a boycott and stresses the need for regime change from below

Iran: Election farce exposes regime’s crisis

The Iranian elections are a travesty that demand a boycott, says Yassamine Mather

Iran: Boycott the vetted election, not the mass protests

The Islamic republic is bitterly divided at the top and subject to crippling international sanctions. Yassamine Mather analyses the political situation in the run-up to the June 14 presidential poll

Syrian bombing: Netanyahu attempts to provoke new confrontation

Over the weekend of May 4-5 Israel launched air raids against targets in Syria. Yassamine Mather and Moshé Machover, two members of the Hands Off the People of Iran steering committee, discuss the issues raised by this latest development

Iran May Day: Defying the regime

Yassamine Mather reports on the growing politicisation of the Iranian workers' movement

Margaret Thatcher: The woman who armed Saddam Hussein

Yassamine Mather digs up some of the recently departed's dirty politcal laundry

Neoliberal feminism: Out of the mainstream, into the revolution

Yassamine Mather critiques neoliberal feminism, which is now the dominant mode of thought

Turkey and Kurds: Imperialism welcomes deal

Yassamine Mather looks at the new PKK ceasefire and what it means

Iran: Need our support

Yassamine Mather reports on the developing social catastrophe

Iran: Towards barbarism

Corruption and war are taking their toll on the Iranian regime, Yassamine Mather reports

Women and capitalism: Double burden of oppression

Is womens inequality endemic to capitalism? Yassamine Mather spoke to socialist feminist Bridget Fowler

Iran: Corruption, repression, fightback

Yassamine Mather reports on the chaos that is the Islamic Republic

Sexism: Macho culture and the lessons we can learn from the Middle East

How should sexism be combated? Yassamine Mather compares the situation in Britain with the practice of two guerrilla organisations

Iran tribunal: What a legalistic shambles

The resolutions of the Iran Tribunal have proved Hopi right, argues Yassamine Mather

Iran: Sanctions mean war on the people

Hands Off the People of Iran remains true to its slogan, No to imperialism, no to the Islamic regime. Yassamine Mather describes the devastation and hunger inflicted on Iranians

Stepping up the threats

The upcoming US Presidential elections are only ratcheting up the threat of military action against Iran reports Yassamine Mather

Islamists gaining ground

The US seems happy to see the Muslim Brotherhood gaining influence in Damascus, writes Yassamine Mather

Sealed trains and class traitors

Yassamine Mather interrogates the excuses used by leftwing supporters of the Iran Tribunal

Accepting funds from the CIA

Supporters of the Iran Tribunal have desperately been trying to defend their abandonment of working class principle. Yassamine Mather reports on the contortions

Regime change must come from below

Sanctions and malware are preparatory acts of war against Iran. Those who condemn the crimes of the regime should also condemn the crimes of imperialism and its agents, writes Yassamine Mather

Iran and Islamophobia

Is there something suspect about the opposition of Hands Off the People of Iran to the Iranian theocracy? Yassamine Mather answers some of the allegations

Imperialism finds new pretext for threats

As Iranian workers went out in remarkable numbers for May Day, a new dispute over some small islands in the Gulf shows that despite apparent progress on the nuclear question a new source of tension has been found. Yassamine Mather reports.

Mobilise against threat

We must mobilse against the threat of war with Iran says Yassamine Mather

Time is fast running out

It is clear that the Obama administration is preparing US public opinion for war, writes Yassamine Mather

Our duty to Iran's working class

Speaking at a CPGB meeting in Manchester in support of Hands Off the People of Iran, Yassamine Mather makes the call for urgent and principled solidarity

The last president?

The latest rigged elections have produced a predictable result as Supreme Leader Khamenei consolidates his power, says Yassamine Mather.

Threats, opposition and solidarity

On what basis should we mobilise against an attack on Iran? Not by calling a truce on our opposition to the Islamic regime, argues Yassamine Mather

Normalised duplicity

Yassamine Mather reviews new film A separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi, on general release.

No war on Iran! For regime change from below!

Make your voice heard against war and repression, urges Hands Off the People of Iran chair, Yassamine Mather

Islamists courted by imperialists

The Muslim Brotherhood has shown itself to be the biggest political force. Meanwhile the left is under attack. Yassamine Mather gives her impressions following a recent visit to Egypt

Embassy stunt backfires

The attack on two diplomatic compounds was a gift to the imperialists, writes Yassamine Mather

Strange political symbiosis

The US and the Iranian regime need each other, argues Yassamine Mather

Explaining the longevity of the theocratic regime

It is riven with contradictions, corrupt, internationally isolated and opposed by the majority of its own people. Yet the Iranian regime survives. Yassamine Mather looks at the long history of struggle against the Islamic Republic

Israel and Iran talk up threats

Iran is keen to divert attention onto the 'foreign enemy', writes Yassamine Mather

Reformists crave reconciliation

The Iranian regime is deeply divided, but what are the prospects for the democracy movement that filled the streets in 2009-10? National chair of Hands Off the People of Iran, Yassamine Mather, spoke to Mark Fischer

God's representative in Tehran sees off 12th Shia imam fan

What lies behind the power struggle in Iran? Yassamine Mather looks at the contending factions

Defend academic freedom from corporate conformism

Commodification is wrecking higher education, argues Yassamine Mather

'Islamic feminism' and women's emancipation

Yassamine Mather examines the reality of the continuing struggle against the regime's oppression

Successful strike

Yassamine Mather reports Kurdish towns and cities closed down

Contamination spreads

Yassamine Mather reports on the effects of the Egyptian upsurge

Stepping up solidarity

John McDonnell MP will launch a new campaign at the Hands Off the People of Iran annual conference this coming Saturday (February 12), reports Yassamine Mather

Unity is only temporary

The anti-Mubarak coalition will break apart once alternative political and economic interests are presented, writes Yassamine Mather

Amadinejad slapped as factions turn on each other

Yassamine Mather looks at the growing tensions in the Islamic regime

Lions, foxes, and asses

Wikileaks confirms that the Tehran regime's nuclear programme is dangerous and ought to be opposed by socialists, writes Yassamine Mather

Sanctions take their toll

Yassamine Mather calls for international solidarity with Iranian workers

Adding a new dimension

Yassamine Mather of Hands Off the People of Iran is standing for the STWC steering committee. This is her election statement

Sanctions siege turns into cyberwarfare

The Stuxnet virus is a new form of warfare. Instead of Iran being attacked by planes and missiles it has been USBs. Yassamine Mather reports

Spin and lies in US

Yassamine Mather exposes the concerted efforts of the Islamic regime against Iranian women

Divided theocratic regime paralysed by sanctions

As the US steps up it efforts to provoke regime change from above, Yassamine Mather looks at the reasons for the failure of the working class to win leadership of the opposition movement

'Reformists' exposed on first anniversary

As imperialist sanctions are stepped up, leaders of Iran's 'opposition' are in headlong retreat. Yassamine Mather reports on the anniversary of the 2009 rigged elections

No alternative within capitalism

What does the bail-out of Greece mean for international capital? Hillel Ticktin spoke to Yassamine Mather

Execution to impose terror

Our response to the judicial murder of Kurds should not be to call for the Iranian regime to be hauled before a tribunal for 'crimes against humanity', writes Yassamine Mather. It should be to step up our solidarity

Courage to tell the truth

Yassamine Mather condemns the farce of the UK general election

May Day demands

Iran's workers will once again use May Day to remind the religious state and 'reformist' Islamists alike of their power, writes Yassamine Mather

From 'smart sanctions' to sanctions with 'bite'

It is the Iranian people who lose and the regime that gains from imperialist threats, writes Yassamine Mather

Opposition to imperialism does not mean support for Ahmadinejad

Mohammad Reza Shalgouni is a founder-member of the Organisation of Revolutionary Workers of Iran (Rahe Kargar) and has been elected as a member of its central committee on a number of occasions. He spent nine years as a political prisoner in Iran under the shah and today is an active supporter of Hands Off the People of Iran. Yassamine Mather interviewed him for the Weekly Worker

Two wrongs don't make a right

Yassamine Mather looks at the politics, hypocrisy and dangers of Ahmadinejad's nuclear programme

'Reformist' confusion stunts opposition protests

Yassamine Mather reports on the February 11 Revolution Day celebrations

'Reformists' fear revolution

The attempt by the two wings of the Iranian regime to shelve their differences is unlikely to defuse the mass movement, writes Yassamine Mather

Fighting over the corpse

As the two wings of the regime continue to squabble, write Chris Strafford and Yassamine Mather, the opposition movement grows in radicalism and confidence

Entire regime is the target

Opposition in Iran is no longer directed at supporting one section of the theocracy against the other. The days of the regime are numbered, say Yassamine Mather and Chris Strafford

Ahmadinejad’s possible role in savage beatings

The Mail on Sunday (November 29) published a photograph purportedly showing Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the regimes London consulate in April 1984. Comrades from the Fedayeen (Minority), who had forced their way into the building, were imprisoned and severely beaten by Iranian staff. Yassamine Mather was a member of the Fedayeen (Minority) at the time and spoke to the Weekly Worker about the incident

Workers organise against regime

More than 300 workers in the Abadan oil refinery gathered on Thursday November 12 to protest against non-payment of wages and bonuses, saying they had not been paid for more than three months. Yassamine Mather reports

Regime’s most persistent opposition

Ali Pichgah is a veteran of the Iranian oil strikes of 1979-81, when he was a representative of the Tehran refinery workers shora (council) on the National Shora of Oil Workers. He spoke to Yassamine Mather about the current situation in Iran

Workers gain new courage

Iranian demonstrations have given a real boost to working class opponents of the regime, writes Yassamine Mather

Mass protests in Iran: Death to the Islamic Republic! Victory to the Iranian people!

The dramatic events in Tehran and other major cities following the June 12 presidential election in Iran are clear manifestations of the anger and frustration of the majority of Iranians with political Islam, writes Yassamine Mather

No even-handedness

Hopi political discussions focus on the role of imperialism and what position to take, reports Tina Becker

Iran: No let up in US threats

Problems facing the peoples of Iran and West Asia are rooted in the contradictions of 21st century world capitalism, says Yassamine Mather

No to imperialist threats

Yassamine Mather reports on the latest developments in Iran and calls for international solidarity

Lies cannot stop imperialists

In her speech to the October 27 conference of the Stop the War Coalition, Somaye Zadeh of Campaign Iran tried to counter the imperialist lies about the Tehran regime with misinformation of her own. Yassamine Mather insists upon the truth

Filling a political gap

Yassamine Mather of Hopi spoke to Mark Fischer after the Stop the War Coalition conference

For principled solidarity

Yassamine Mather of Hands Off the People of Iran points to the renewed imperialist threats but warns against the anti-imperialism of fools

Open letter to Andrew Murray

From Yassamine Mather, Hands Off the People of Iran

Bellicose diversions

Yassamine Mather comments on the speculation about possible 'shock and awe' attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran's nuclear installations and other strategic targets

Clear distance

In less than a week, over 50 people were executed by public hanging in Iran's islamic republic. Yassamine Mather says communists and democrats must take a clear stand

Anti-imperialism and Tehran

There is a cynically organised media campaign designed to pave the way for further sanctions or selected military strikes. Does that mean we should support the Tehran regime? Speaking at the Marxism fringe, Yassamine Mather - Workers Left Unity Iran - explains the real meaning of anti-imperialism

Petrol rationing sparks protests

After months of hesitation and delay, Iran's islamic rulers this week gave a two-hour warning before imposing fuel rationing for private vehicles. Yassamine Mather comments

US-Iran talks

After weeks of anticipation and with the expected media hype, the first official meeting between Iran's Islamic republic and the United States in nearly 30 years took place in Baghdad this week. Yassamine Mather reports

Double standards in London and Tehran

In the furore over the capture of British sailors and marines and their theatrical release by Iran's islamic regime, a number of essential points seem to have been forgotten by the British media, and even by so-called anti-war broadsheets, says Yassamine Mather

Gift for militarist faction

Last week, when the militarist faction in the Iranian regime realised they had captured 15 British marines and sailors, it must have seemed like a gift from heaven. Yassamine Mather reports

Will Tehran be next?

Every day the media publish new information about plans for a military attack on Iran and, although many of these stories are simply recounting previous revelations, there is no doubt that the danger of (limited or extensive) military action by the US is now very real. Yassamine Mather reports