7th October 2026

Press release

For immediate use

The Committee for the Defence of Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) has warned that escalation of the illegal aggression initiated by the US/Israeli axis upon Iran will worsen further the lives of the Iranian people and jeopardise prospects of a negotiated solution.

The United States has tightened the sanctions regime on Iran, with comparisons being drawn with the situation that faced Iraq from the early 1990s onwards. In addition, the US is now looking to escalate the impact upon Iran militarily.

The combined impact of war and the sanctions imposed upon Iran is having a devastating impact upon the Iranian economy and consequently the Iranian people. Iran’s currency has repeatedly hit new lows since the US and Israel launched the illegal war on Iran more than six months ago. It has lost about half of its value in just one year owing to the tightening sanctions and the US-Israeli attacks.

CODIR’s Executive Committee identified the up and coming elections in Israel and the US as potential flashpoints for further escalation as the US continues to assert its hegemony in the Middle East and Israel continues to view Iran as an existential threat.

Leaders in both countries are increasingly unpopular and both have used the war against Iran as a smokescreen in their efforts to curry domestic favour. CODIR Assistant General Secretary, Jamshid Ahmadi, warned that a third round of escalation in the conflict would hit the Iranian people severely.

“There is only a brief window for diplomacy at the moment,” said Mr. Ahmadi, “the US and Israel are preparing for further action while hardline elements of the Iranian dictatorship are prepared to keep the war going indefinitely. The consequences have already been devastating for the Iranian people. Any escalation will only make the situation worse.”

The meeting stressed the need for the combined anti-war forces in the UK to pressurise the British government not to back the war and to call for an immediate ceasefire with a view to a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The lack of media emphasis upon the illegality of the war was condemned and the British government was urged to stress the necessity of compliance with UN resolutions and international law.      

CODIR is calling upon all affiliates to back its call for the British government to condemn the war; support calls for a negotiated solution; and emphasise that the road to a democratic Iran can only be through the actions of the Iranian people themselves.

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.