Stop the escalation in West Asia – International solidarity!Youth, workers, universities—united against war and dictatorship

23 March 2026

As the AStA of the University of Hamburg, we condemn the war of aggression waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which violates international law, and stand in solidarity with the youth, labor, human rights, and student movements for a self-determined future and an end to oppression.

We call on everyone to take action: Stop the war!

On the morning of February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran in violation of international law. Approximately 30 locations were bombed, including Tehran, Qom, Tabriz, and Kermanshah; a girls’ school in Hormozgan was destroyed, and at least 70 schoolgirls were killed. The attack took place in the midst of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, in which, although no agreement has been reached so far, progress had been made. This progress is now jeopardized by the attack. This war has now claimed over 1,200 lives, and there is no end to the aggression in sight.

This attack is neither “prevention” nor “defense,” but rather part of an imperialist strategy to control and destabilize the region. Under the guise of “human rights” and “security,” the goal is regime change, which—as in Iraq, Libya, or Afghanistan—means above all death, misery, and destruction for the population. The costs are borne not by governments, but by workers, young people, and students—the civilian population.

At the same time, since early January 2026, Iran has been experiencing a new wave of nationwide protests that have been brutally suppressed by the Iranian regime. Students, workers, teachers, civil society organizations, and political groups are organizing strikes, demonstrations, and memorial events. They openly denounce deep political repression, social inequality, economic exploitation, and the oppression of women and national minorities. Universities such as Tehran, Beheshti, Allameh Tabatabai, Science and Industry, Tarbiat Modares, Amirkabir, Sharif, and many others have become hubs of this resistance.

“The students are the children of this history. It is only natural that slogans like ‘Neither Pahlavi nor the leadership; freedom and equality’ rise from the heart of the university and that ‘Woman, life, freedom’ echo,” reads the joint statement by the University of Tehran – Daneshjo and the Independent Student Association of Beheshti.

Youth play a central role in this: high school students, college students, young workers, and precarious workers are taking the protests to the streets, workplaces, schools, and campuses. Their slogans—“Women, Life, Freedom” and “Neither Monarchy nor Mullahs—Freedom and Equality”—are directed simultaneously against the Islamic dictatorship, against restorationist monarchist projects, and against any form of imperialist interference. They make it clear: The country’s future must not be determined by old elites or foreign powers, but by the organized population itself.

The attack on Iran, which violates international law, dramatically worsens the living and struggle conditions of the Iranian people: It exacerbates economic hardship, justifies new waves of repression, and is used by governments to defame protests as “destabilization” or a “foreign conspiracy.” At the same time, the real struggle of the people in Iran is being exploited by the U.S., Israel, and the EU to push for regime change in line with their own geopolitical interests. This weakens the emancipatory forces and hinders international solidarity from below.

As AStA, we stand in solidarity with the movement and our fellow students who “seek to arrive, through internal debates, at concrete proposals and collective visions for the future of Iran—a future in which freedom and equality go hand in hand, and the liberation of women and the end of gender-based oppression are the driving forces for change.”

We say and demand:

• Stop the war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which violates international law—an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic solutions.
• No to regime-change policies, occupation, and imperialist interference—in Iran, in West Asia, and worldwide. An end to all sanctions that violate international law, because they disproportionately harm the civilian population.
• Solidarity with the students, youth, and workers in Iran who are fighting for freedom, equality, gender justice, and social justice at enormous risk.
• Support for “Students at Risk” and students in crisis and war zones—especially Iranian students in Germany—by easing the exam period, waiving semester fees, simplifying visa and residency regulations, and providing psychosocial and material support.
• Strengthening student and union self-organization here at home: in support of civil clauses, against military research, and against the privatization and precariousness of education and work.
• Resuming, building, and deepening international university cooperation from the grassroots—between student, worker, and academic organizations fighting for a democratic and social future.
• Universities worldwide have a duty to clearly and unambiguously stand on the side of international law and human rights. The prohibition of violence and the realization of the social, economic, and cultural rights of all people form a single entity.

In this spirit, we are intensifying our commitment to:

• Civil clauses and the consistent separation of research and the military.
• Science for civil conflict resolution, disarmament, diplomacy, and just, social development.
• Joint actions by students, staff, and unions at the UHH against war policies, racism, sanctions, and social division.