Formation and Departure from the Tudeh Party
Reza Shah’s abdication in 1941 opened new political opportunities. The Group of 53 was released, and many of its members coalesced into the Tudeh Party of Iran. Though initially reluctant, Maleki eventually joined the Tudeh Party and quickly rose to become one of its prominent intellectuals. However, he soon found himself at odds with the leadership.
Maleki demanded internal democracy, transparency, and genuine independence from the Soviet Union. His criticisms were particularly sharp during the Azerbaijan crisis of 1946, when the Soviet-backed Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, under Ja’far Pishevari, sought autonomy from Tehran. The Tudeh Party, following Soviet directives, dissolved its organization in Azerbaijan and supported Pishevari. Maleki vehemently opposed this, seeing it as a betrayal of Iranian sovereignty.
This episode led to a definitive break. Maleki and several others left the Tudeh Party and founded a new political group called the Socialist Society of the Iranian People, which later merged with the Iran Party to become part of the broader National Front coalition under Mosaddeq.
Alliance with Mosaddeq and the Third Force
Maleki’s political thought during this period was centered on forging a “third way” — distinct from both the reactionary monarchism of the Pahlavi regime and the Soviet-aligned communism of the Tudeh Party. He became a close ally of Mohammad Mosaddeq, especially during the oil nationalization movement. Maleki admired Mosaddeq’s integrity, anti-imperialism, and commitment to constitutionalism.
To give political voice to left-wing nationalists, Maleki and his associates founded the Niru-ye Sevvom (Third Force) as a democratic socialist faction within the National Front. The Third Force promoted national sovereignty, secularism, land reform, labor rights, and social justice.