Iran’s ‘rich kids’ incite rage — ‘partying’ while thousands are slaughtered
As horrific details of the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters emerge — with internal estimates pointing to more than 10,000 deaths — the country’s young, wealthy elite are inciting further anger by continuing to flaunt their lavish lives online as they have for years, as if the nation is not on the brink of collapse outside its privileged bubble.
Amid a forced internet shutdown that allows an oppressive regime to commit “genocide under the cover of digital darkness”, according to an outraged expert, Telegraph journalists reportedly observed “rich Iranians” partying at a nightclub at a popular holiday spot on the border with Turkey.
“Their lifestyle has angered Iranian citizens, especially Generation Z in their age group, mainly because they see how these rich kids live – without any accountability for anything they do,” Ella Rosenberg, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Foreign Affairs Center, told The Times of London.
Mostly children of Iran’s ruling class, they have led a hedonistic lifestyle for decades, but their staggering wealth has become more visible in recent years, due to the temporary loosening of the government’s grip on the internet and social media, before the start of the current unrest.
“They are the equivalent of the Iranian ‘Gossip Girl’: luxury cars, living in opulent skyscrapers in northern Tehran,” Rosenberg said.
The wealth of Iran’s young elite first attracted global attention more than a decade ago, with the Instagram account @richkidsoftehran.
“It depicts seemingly well-off teenagers showing off Rolex watches, Porsches and Maseratis, sprawling estates and expensive clothes,” the Post reported in 2014.
The Instagram account has remained active and now has 477,000 followers.
Glamor shots stopped being shared on the account in 2024 – since January 9, six new news-related posts have appeared, referring to the government as a “regime” – but other well-connected and money-rich Iranians have become influencers in their own right.
Anashid Hoseini, married to the son of Iran’s ambassador to Denmark, has more than 1.7 million followers, thanks to envy-inducing photos that show her dripping in jewelry and carrying designer handbags.
Hoseini reportedly lives in Niavaran, an affluent neighborhood in northern Tehran, but she has not posted a message on her account in almost a month.
It is unclear whether she remains in Iran amid the unrest, but many have fled the country in recent weeks, seeking refuge in Van, a Turkish province about 60 miles from the Iranian border.
Considered a popular vacation spot for well-heeled Iranians, the Telegraph reported seeing well-heeled types gathering at a venue that can easily cost more than $100 for entry and drinks, according to the outlet.
“These people are taking advantage of the regime. They left Iran for now because they were afraid to stay there. Here they can feel safe,” an Iranian at the club told the newspaper.
Other young, well-connected Iranians left their home countries long ago, but continue to anger the less wealthy citizens left behind.
Sasha Sobhani, son of a former Iranian ambassador to Venezuela, became a social media star by showing off his expat life in Spain, where he moved in 2019.
Photos show Sobhani surrounded by scantily clad women and luxury sports cars, and he has since spoken out against Iran.
However, the country is seeking his extradition after accusing him of money laundering and running illegal websites.
The current uprising, which broke out on December 28, has become the most serious threat to Iran’s religious leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The regime responded with overwhelming force, deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia to crush the unrest, according to rights groups and testimony.
Sources in Iran estimate that at least 12,000 — and possibly as many as 20,000 — people may have been killed during the unrest, according to CBS News.
Tehran has fiercely disputed those figures, attributing the bloodshed to what it calls “armed rioters” and “terrorists” backed by foreign powers, including the United States and Israel.
