On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Tudeh Party of Iran, the leadership and membership of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) would like to send our fraternal greetings to our comrades in Iran. For the last eight decades, the Tudeh Party has always fought for the working class of Iran and CPUSA is honored to be their fraternal comrades.

The history of the Tudeh Party has not been easy. Not even a decade into the Party’s existence, it was made illegal and forced underground by the reactionary leaders of Iran. Despite these challenges, the members of the Tudeh Party continued to represent the working class of Iran and fight for their needs. Even while working underground and under the constant threat of persecution, the Tudeh Party played a prominent role in the Oil Nationalization Movement under the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq.

When Prime Minister Mossadeq was deposed in a US/UK backed coup, the reactionaries that were placed in charge of Iran increased the suppression and persecution of the members of the Party. The Tudeh Party, with the help of its international fraternal comrades, was able to continue their fight for democracy and socialism in Iran despite being in exile.

When the Iranian Revolution began in 1979, the Tudeh Party played a prominent role in deposing the despotic Shah. They lead the fight for a progressive, socialist and democratic revolution. This message resonated with the people of Iran and the Tudeh Party grew across the country. However, the right wing, conservative, theocrats that came to power, aggressively and violently persecuted the Party in an attempt to stomp out their socialist message.

In the beginning of 1983, almost the entire leadership, along with thousands of members and supporters of the Tudeh Party were round up by the theocratic security forces. They were imprisoned and tortured. In 1988 a large number of these imprisoned Party members were executed and buried in mass graves.

Despite all the violent cruelty aimed at them, the members and leaders of the Tudeh Party have never given up the fight for socialism and never abandoned Marxism-Leninism. They have continued to struggle against the reactionary government in their country and for the working class of Iran. Today, the Tudeh Party is a leading voice of the pro-democracy forces in Iran.

The struggle for the Iranian working class is not only fought against reactionary forces at home. Iran is one of the main targets of United States imperialism which uses economic sanctions to cripple the Iranian working class. We in the CPUSA are proud to fight alongside our fraternal comrades in Iran against imperialism and for a socialist future for the Iranian working class.

May the Tudeh Party be able to continue its just struggle and lead the Iranian people to a better future. Long live the Tudeh Party of Iran and long live Communist Internationalism.

Long Live Communist Internationalism! Long Live the Partido Comunista do Brasil!

Alvaro Rodriguez

International Secretary of the Communist Party USA on behalf of the co-leaders of the CPUSA, Rossana Cambron and Joe Sims