Statement of “Hamgami”: Condemning Israel’s Military Attack and in Defence of Peace and Iran’s National Sovereignty
We Demand a Halt to War and Military Confrontations
The extensive and surprise military attack by the Israeli army on various military, defence and nuclear centres in Iran has elevated tensions with the Islamic Republic to an unprecedented level. The Middle East is now in an extremely dangerous situation. The continuation and expansion of the current war between Israel and the Islamic Republic could inflict irreparable damage upon the country and the region. According to official statistics nearly one hundred members of the military and personnel involved in Iran’s nuclear industry, along with their relatives and a number of other civilians, have been killed and more than three hundred people have been wounded. In Israel, there is also talk of several people killed and dozens injured after the retaliatory operations of the Islamic Republic.
Although the belligerent foreign policy of the Islamic Republic provides the historical context for the current conflict and its flawed policies and erroneous assessments of the balance of power and military capabilities have set the stage for the current military confrontation, based on international law and existing realities, the Israeli government’s offensive action lacks the necessary elements for a pre-emptive strike. At a time when nuclear negotiations between the governments of Iran and the United States were in progress, Israel’s military operation is an act of aggression rather than one of self-defence. What has been attacked, and continues to be, reflects an intent to destroy Iran’s defensive, military, and security apparatus. In these clashes, civilians, including a number of children, have also been killed, which are instances of war crimes.
The Islamic Republic, despite massive investment in the nuclear and military industries—at the cost of imposing heavy burdens on the country, which has damaged developmental infrastructure and led to national regression—could not provide the necessary deterrence against Israel’s heavy attacks, which were conducted in coordination with the United States. From this viewpoint the Islamic Republic has exposed the nation’s security to grave threats.
There is now a fear that the continuation of this situation will not only entail the further destruction of Iran’s military installations but also place civilians and Iran’s energy, industrial, and service facilities at irreparable risk. The “Hamgami Coalition for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran” – which calls for a transition from the Islamic Republic and has always opposed the Iranian government’s enemy-centred and opportunity-squandering foreign policy and rejects the policy of “the destruction of Israel” – while strongly condemning Israel’s military attacks, that thus far have led also to the deaths of dozens of civilians, emphasizes the need for applying rationality and stopping the war. The primary issue today is the protection of Iran by minimizing harm to it, regional stability and ending the nuclear adventurism and policies that have no connection with Iran’s national interests and security.
In our belief, stopping the war requires the active role of the United Nations and mediators, the reconstruction of deterrence equations and restraint from both sides. What is alarming beyond the current conflict is the endangerment of the country’s independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and existence.
It is true that this tension was initiated by the Islamic Republic and has been exacerbated over time by the Israeli government’s overreaching, but the ultimate victims of the spreading flames of war are our people and the homeland. Freedom, social justice, democracy, prosperity of the nation and liberation from the Islamic Republic towards a worthy destination … cannot be achieved through war, violence, and the onset of missiles and drones. Domestic and international experiences warn us to be vigilant in this regard. Iran can no longer cope with destructive and unnecessary conflicts.
Seeking justice for the crimes committed by the military and security institutions of the Islamic Republic is solely within the purview of the people of Iran. A transition from the Islamic Republic can also only reach a favourable outcome when it is pursued by relying on the internal struggles of the Iranian people and is free from foreign intervention. The governments of Israel and the United States are pursuing their own objectives, which do not necessarily align with the demands of the people and Iranian national interests. Therefore, one must be sensitive to and raise awareness about the media war and psychological campaign of the criminal Netanyahu government aimed at influencing public opinion in Iran.
We call on the people of Iran, given the need for stability and security in order to navigate through the current perils and to achieve political structural changes and economic prosperity in the future, to loudly and without hesitation oppose the warmongers on both sides. We urge them to stand firm on national values, patriotism, the country’s independence and sovereignty, preserve the lives and health of the people, prevent Iran from becoming a scorched earth and resolve disputes in foreign relations through diplomacy. A prolonged war with an uncertain fate could plunge the country into greater instability and turmoil and increase the risks for Iran, both at the present and in the future. It would also marginalize politics and confront the pro-democracy movement and civil society forces in Iran with greater challenges.
Hamgami warns the Islamic Republic not to further militarize the country’s atmosphere and not to expand suppression under the pretext of war.
Hamgami for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran
14 June 2025
Hamgamijds@gmail.com