Letter from Iran

Anarchist Front

Platypus Review 185 | April 2026

On March 26, 2026, the following letter was sent to the Columbia University chapter of the Platypus Affiliated Society by the Anarchist Front of Iran and Afghanistan. We reprint the letter without alteration.

DEAR COMRADES,

We are writing to you from the middle of a war.

Airstrikes have affected cities across Iran for weeks. The internet has been cut for extended periods, isolating people from each other and from the outside world. Civilians have been killed. Reports indicate that schools, hospitals, and residential areas have been hit, including in the first days of the strikes. The attacks are ongoing.

At the same time, people inside Iran continue to face repression from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Protesters have been killed, imprisoned, and subjected to torture, including reports of sexual violence against detainees. Many voices are silenced or disconnected.

We want to help you understand what is happening — not through Western media narratives, not through the statements of Reza Pahlavi, and not through the narrative of the Trump administration. We want you to see it through the eyes of people in struggle — those who have resisted the Islamic Republic for years and who refuse to celebrate the bombs now falling on cities across Iran.

This is our report. Read it. Share it. Stand with people — not with any state, not with any crown.

Part one: Context

To understand this war, it must be seen in a longer history. What is often called the “1979 Revolution” did not simply begin or end in that year. Popular struggles against authoritarian rule had already been developing before 1979, and the establishment of the Islamic government marked not liberation, but the continuation of repression in another form.

For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has maintained power through violence. In August 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini declared a jihad against Kurdish regions, leading to military operations and widespread repression. Mass executions began as early as 1982, when hundreds of Leftist and communist prisoners were killed. Another large-scale massacre took place in 1988, targeting political prisoners from multiple groups. In the years since, protests in 1999, 2009, 2019, 2022, and more recently have been met with arrests, killings, and widespread repression.

The protests of late 2025 and early 2026 were among the most intense in recent years. Triggered by economic collapse and long-standing social anger, they spread rapidly across many cities. The state responded with force and with internet shutdowns affecting the largest number of protesting people, limiting communication and visibility. The situation was already unstable before the current military escalation.

Just before the strikes began, diplomatic efforts were reportedly ongoing. Officials in Oman indicated that a diplomatic breakthrough was within reach, including agreements on nuclear limitations and international verification. Talks were expected to continue, but after the attacks began, these efforts were described as undermined. On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran. Since then, strikes have been reported in many regions, targeting military infrastructure and state institutions. However, civilian areas have also been affected, with increasing reports of casualties.

Part two: What this war is — and what it is not

This war has been presented by some as a form of liberation.

It is not.

Officials from the United States have made clear that the objective is strategic: weakening military capabilities and regional influence — not establishing democracy.

Inside Iran, many who once believed that external intervention might weaken the regime are now reconsidering. The reality of war — destruction, displacement, and civilian casualties — has made that position more uncertain.

At the same time, monarchist groups outside Iran, supported by certain media platforms, have attempted to frame this moment as their “revolution.” While people inside the country face violence and isolation, these narratives claim representation over a population whose voices are often silenced or disconnected.

Many of these groups advocate a return to monarchy under Reza Pahlavi. However, they do not represent the full diversity of perspectives inside Iran.

Part three: On repression and resistance

The Islamic Republic’s violence is not limited to war.

People protesting against the system continue to face direct attacks. Arrests, imprisonment, torture, and sexual violence against detainees are part of the reality faced by many.

There are ongoing concerns about the risk of further mass repression, recalling earlier periods such as the 1982 prison executions. Despite this, resistance continues in different forms across society.

Part four: On numbers and reality

The number of people killed in protests and airstrikes remains unclear. Different sources report different figures, and independent verification is extremely difficult due to restrictions and communication blackouts. However, it is widely believed that the real number of those killed, imprisoned, or disappeared is significantly higher than what is officially reported.

What is certain is that large numbers of people are affected, and much of this reality remains unseen.

Final words

We reject the violence of the state that has ruled through repression.

We reject the violence imposed from outside in the name of “liberation.”

We do not need bombs to be free.

We do not need monarchy to replace one system of domination with another.

We believe in horizontal self-organization and self-management as the path toward freedom.

No mullah, no king, no war!

Stand with people!

Women, life, freedom

Anarchist Front — March 2026 |P