24th February 2026
Press release
For immediate use

The Committee for the Defence of Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) reiterates its call for solidarity with the people of Iran and warns of the consequences of failure in current talks in Geneva between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at averting war, as the US continues to surge military forces to the region in its largest military buildup since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The Trump regime’s gunboat diplomacy from the Middle East to the Caribbean, gives little reason to trust US negotiators, nor any agreements that result from them. Trump unilaterally tore up the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the ‘Iran nuclear deal’, in his first Presidential term to appease US-Iran war hawks. Previous US-Iran talks in 2025 failed because the US bombed Iran while those talks were ongoing.

Following widespread popular demonstrations across Iran in January, recent days have seen protests break out across universities to commemorate those killed in the protests earlier in the year. The pressure inside the country for change continues to mount but leaders of the solidarity organisation fear that the Iranian people are being used as hostages in the current talks.

“Neither the US nor Iran are showing any signs of movement in their positions in the negotiations,” said CODIR General Secretary, Gawain Little. “The talks are stalled at the point of talking about generalities, rather than getting down to specifics. Meanwhile the build-up of US military in the region continues and the threat of war gets closer.”

US President, Donald Trump has signalled that a “limited military strike” on Iran may be the first step towards further escalation as US forces are reportedly preparing for a “weeks long” military intervention. The US remains fixed upon Iran agreeing to a reduction in its nuclear enrichment capability, which Iran insists is for purely civilian purposes.

The US President has however made no secret of his desire for regime change saying recently that this would be “the best thing that could happen” in Iran.

The dangers of any military intervention spreading across the region are significant and would be catastrophic for the people of Iran and the wider Middle East/West Asia. The solidarity organisation points out that US regime-change interventions elsewhere in the region, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria for example have never benefitted the people of those countries and there is the danger that Iran could be the latest calamity to add to this long list.

“CODIR firmly opposes the theocratic, anti-people dictatorship in Iran but any intervention by either the US or Israel is likely to make matters worse,” said Gawain Little. “The future of Iran must be for the Iranian people themselves to decide and there is no doubt that war will be a catastrophe for them and the region.”

Progressive forces inside the country are continuing to call for the end to the dictatorship and opposition to external intervention.

CODIR will continue to provide support and solidarity with those progressive forces on the basis of the people’s demand for peace, democracy and social justice.

ENDS

Further information for Editors

Contact Information for CODIR:-

Postal Address:
B.M.CODIR
London
WC1N 3XX
UK
Website: www.codir.net
E-mail: codir_info@btinternet.com

Further information on CODIR

CODIR is the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights. It has been established since 1981 and has consistently campaigned to expose human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

CODIR has worked closely with the trade union movement in the UK, the peace movement, Liberation, all major political parties and Amnesty International to press the case for an end to torture in Iran’s prisons. Eight national trade unions in Britain are affiliated to CODIR and support its campaign for peace, human and democratic rights, and social justice in Iran. These currently include: UNISON, UNITE, NEU, NASUWT, UCU, RMT, FBU, and GFTU.

CODIR has published Iran Today, its quarterly journal, since 1981, explaining the latest developments in Iran and the most effective way that the British public opinion could demonstrate its solidarity with the people of Iran.

In recent years CODIR has worked closely with Stop the War Coalition and has been vocal against any form of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of the nation.