Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine) 15.09.2026
There is no doubt that Iran is winning the war with the United States and Israel, and that the Houthis’ takeover of the Bab al-Mandab Strait strengthens Iran’s status, which has become a powerful regional power, while Trump does not know how to get out of the trap that Israel persuaded him to enter. If Saudi Arabia hopes that the United States will help it militarily, the United States has made it clear that it does not intend to participate in the war against the Houthis, and it does not even make threats of attack against them. It seems that in Trump’s opinion, the ceasefire agreement signed with Iran in May 2025 is still valid, and if Saudi Arabia has a problem, it must solve it itself.
The regime in Iran is a repressive regime based on a capitalist state, i.e., a reactionary regime, and yet on the military side, why do we wish for an Iranian victory? Because Iran is not an imperialist state, unlike the United States, and the victory of a non-imperialist state helps the oppressed peoples to rise. The following article delves into the question of why we oppose the war against Iran, which can be summed up in the article “Whom Do We Defend When Defending Iran against Imperialist Aggression? by Michael Pröbsting” [i]
For Trump, there is only one diplomatic axis: Iran-the United States; But for the Gulf states , there are three parallel axes: the Iran-U.S. axis, which is supposed to deal with nuclear issues, sanctions, and the other articles of the memorandum of understanding that were shelved; the Iran-Oman axis, which will discuss shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz; and the Saudi-Houthi axis, which deals with the war in Yemen and control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. As far as Washington is concerned, the Gulf states can reach agreements with the Iranians on the last two items, if they do not harm the Iran-US diplomatic axis.
The Iran-Oman axis on the management of the Strait of Hormuz was legitimized and substantiated in the memorandum of understanding signed by Trump. It also states that Iran will negotiate with Oman and the other Gulf states on the shipping arrangements. Although the memorandum expired after Iran and the United States announced its suspension, it still provides a legitimate basis for negotiations, and the assumption is that if Iran and Oman reach an agreement, Trump will not oppose it.
What makes it easier for Iran is the impossibility of the Gulf states to formulate a unified position, each with its own position on the desired course of action vis-à-vis Iran.
Bahrain opposes negotiations with Iran and demands that the Strait of Hormuz be open to all “without discrimination, fees or permits.” But on the other hand, the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed, met with Iranian President Masoud Pazshakian. Bin Zayed warmly shook the Iranian president’s hand and declared that “both sides have decided to put their differences behind and look forward to the future.”
Instead of facing a united Gulf-American front, Iran enjoys a disjointed system of channels, disputes, and separate calculations that allows it to exert military pressure and promote diplomacy at the same time. To manage the crisis on conditions that are more favorable to it.
The RCIT from the very beginning of the imperialist war against Iran has taken the only possible revolutionary position: Revolutionary victory for Iran and revolutionary defeat for the US and Israel. On a better understanding the Marxist position of revolutionary defeat see Michael Pröbsting: “Marxism and War: The Origins and History of Revolutionary Defeatism” [ii]
Trump who understands that the U.S is decaying is determined to focus on Latin America and retreats from the Middle East and leaves Saudi Arabia and Israel face alone Iran and its allies. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” says Hamlet, but we ask: How long will an isolated and hated Israel survive, this is the question?
Endnotes:
[i] https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/whom-do-we-defend-when-defending-iran-against-imperialist-aggression/
[ii] https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/origins-and-history-of-revolutionary-defeatism/