Sander van Lanen

From Teheran trades unionists: Public protests and strikes in cities across the country have now entered their eleventh day. Despite an intensified security atmosphere, the heavy presence of police and security forces, and violent crackdowns, the scope of the protests remains broad and diverse. According to reports, at least 174 locations in 60 cities across 25 provinces have witnessed demonstrations during this period, and hundreds of protesters have been arrested. Tragically, at least 35 protesting citizens, including children, have lost their lives. From January 2018 to November 2019 and September 2022, Iran’s oppressed people have repeatedly shown—by taking to the streets—that they will not tolerate the ruling political-economic order and the structures built on exploitation and inequality. These movements have not been about returning to the past. They have formed to build a future free from the domination of capital—one grounded in freedom, equality, social justice, and human dignity. While declaring our solidarity with people’s struggles against poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and repression, we state clearly our opposition to any return to a past defined by inequality, corruption, and injustice. We believe genuine liberation is only possible through the conscious, organized leadership and participation of the working class and the oppressed—not through reproducing old and authoritarian forms of power. In this struggle, workers, teachers, retirees, nurses, students, women, and especially young people—despite widespread repression, arrests, dismissals, and worsening living conditions—remain on the front lines. The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company stresses the necessity of continuing independent, conscious, and organized protests. We have said it many times, and we repeat it again: the road to liberation for workers and working people does not run through manufactured “leaders” imposed from above, reliance on foreign powers, or factions within the ruling establishment. It runs through unity, solidarity, and building independent organizations in workplaces and communities, and at the national level. We must not allow ourselves to once again become victims of power games and the interests of the ruling classes. The syndicate also strongly condemns any propaganda, justification, or support for military intervention by foreign governments, including the United States and Israel. Such interventions not only lead to the destruction of civil society and the killing of people, they also hand the authorities yet another pretext to continue violence and repression. Past experience has shown that Western hegemonic states place no value on the freedom, livelihoods, or rights of the Iranian people. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, and we stress the necessity of identifying and prosecuting those who ordered and carried out the killing of people. Long live freedom, equality, and class solidarity. The answer for working people is unity and organization. Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company 7 January 2026

I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela. The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.