11^th March 2026

Press release

For immediate use

CODIR warns that the continuation of the War only Harms the Popular Struggle for Peace, Democracy, and Social Justice in Iran!

An elderly man is shepherded to safety in the bloody aftermath of an attack by US-Israeli warplanes on the area in and around Tehran’s Enqelab (Revolution) Square on 3 March 2026, which left scores dead and gravely wounded as well as extensive damage to residences and civilian infrastructure | Tasnim News Agency | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

Amid the devastation wrought by the continuation of the illegal and unjust US-Israeli attack on Iran, the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) has warned that the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader clearly signals that hardliners in the theocratic dictatorship retain the upper hand in the internal struggle taking place within the regime.

Khamenei is believed to have been very seriously injured in the attack on 28 February, which killed his father, Ali Khamenei, as well as his wife and other family members.  He is believed to have been reluctant to take up the role of Supreme Leader, but is clearly the hardliner’s choice and will represent the interests of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) going forward.  

Despite being the son of Ali Khamenei, very little is known about Mojtaba as he has stayed largely out of the public eye.  However, he is known to have strong links to the IRGC, the Basij paramilitary force, and the regime’s repressive security apparatus. He certainly represents the ‘diehard’ tendency within Iran and has the support of arch-conservatives within the regime.

Khamenei’s selection comes at a time when the thrust of the US-Israeli strikes  indicate an intention to completely degrade the Iranian state, both in civil as well as military terms.

While the US and Israel are keen to emphasise the accuracy and precision of missile attacks the reality is that recent days have seen atrocious attacks on oil refineries around Tehran; water desalination plants; electrical supply hubs and power plants (meaning large parts of Tehran were left in pitch blackness); clinics/hospitals; schools; community centres; sports complexes; public parks and squares; as well as UNESCO-listed world heritage sites.

“It has been clear since the first bomb dropped that the illegal US/Israeli war on Iran is not just about eliminating nuclear capacity or missile capability,” said CODIR General Secretary, Gawain Little, “these attacks are degrading key elements of the civilian infrastructure in Iran.  The US is using the Iranian people’s legitimate struggle against the regime as cover for external regime change, which would be a calamity for the Iranian people. They alone have the right to determine the future of Iran.”

In spite of the increasing toll upon the civilian population, with over 1.200 estimated dead so far, the regime in Iran has made clear that it is not interested in a ceasefire or return to negotiations for the time being. The regime appears to be motivated to respond by exacting as high a toll on the US and Western countries as possible, in order to ensure that the cost of attacking Iran is seen to be prohibitively high, economically and politically.

There are also reports that the IRGC’s command structure has been decentralised, giving operational autonomy to commanders further down the chain and throughout Iran’s provinces. The security forces appear to be entrenching their positions throughout the country in anticipation of carrying on the fight regardless of what form it takes. It is reported this is pursuant to one of Ali Khamenei’s last directives before he was killed.

That the regime’s security forces and paramilitaries are still in control and exert a fearsome presence on the streets of Iran is reflected in the comments of Iran’s police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, who has warned that protesters will be treated as “the enemy”.

Speaking on Iranian state TV Radan stated,

“If someone comes at the enemies bidding, we do not regard them as a protestor or anything of the sort; we treat them as we would treat the enemy, and we deal with them the same way we deal with the enemy.”

CODIR Assistant General Secretary, Jamshid Ahmadi, underlined the solidarity organisation’s long held position of opposition to the theocratic dictatorship and external intervention.

“CODIR continues to be firmly against the theocratic dictatorship and its repressive measures against the Iranian people.  We will also continue to oppose outside intervention by the US, Israel, or any proxy forces acting on their behalf”, said Mr Ahmadi, “the future of Iran must be for the Iranian people themselves to decide. The war is already a catastrophe for the people of Iran and the region. We must do all in our power to stop it from getting worse.”

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, all major political parties and Amnesty International to press the case for an end to torture in Iran’s prisons.  Major trade unions in Britain are affiliated to CODIR and support its campaign for peace, human and democratic rights, and social justice in Iran.

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.