As thousands of Iranian citizens face violent government crackdowns during nationwide protests, the children of the country's ruling elite continue to showcase their opulent lifestyles on Instagram, creating a stark contrast that has drawn international attention and domestic outrage.
The Aghazadeh Phenomenon
The term "aghazadeh" refers specifically to the sons and daughters of Iran's most powerful and influential figures who benefit enormously from their family connections. While ordinary Iranians struggle with soaring living costs and brutal repression, these privileged individuals maintain lives of extraordinary luxury both within Iran and abroad.
Sasha Sobhani's Extravagant Existence
Sasha Sobhani, son of a retired senior diplomat who once served as Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, exemplifies this lifestyle. Despite facing extradition requests from Iran over money laundering and illegal gambling allegations in 2021, Sobhani has established himself in Spain where he regularly posts images of private jets, yachts, supercars, and encounters with scantily clad women.
His social media presence includes photographs with footballing icons like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, and former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. During recent protests, a page linked to Sobhani posted cryptically: "The Iranian people will no longer be fooled by your divisions, cyber people," prompting angry responses from followers accusing him of benefiting from Iran's capital without effort.
Anashid Hoseini's Fashionable Silence
Model and fashion designer Anashid Hoseini, married to the son of Iran's former ambassador to Denmark, maintains 1.7 million Instagram followers despite posting nothing since the government-imposed internet blackout began. Her final pre-protest image showed her posing in a cashmere coat with a designer handbag valued at more than the average Iranian's annual income, captioned simply "My calm."
Critics flooded her comments section demanding to know why she remained silent during the crisis, with one asking: "What are you doing in this painless situation?" Despite previously denying being part of the aghazadeh class, Hoseini's lifestyle and connections place her firmly within this controversial group.
International Perspectives and Family Networks
Research indicates that approximately 5,000 aghazadeh reportedly live in the United States despite Iran's official designation of America as the "Great Satan." The phenomenon of elite children leaving Iran became so widespread that it inspired the mocking hashtag #Where_is_your_kid in 2018.
Notably, grandchildren of Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, reside in Canada, while relatives of current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei live in Britain and France. This diaspora of privileged youth highlights the disconnect between Iran's ruling families and the population they govern.
The Shamkhani Brothers' Shipping Empire
Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani and his brother Hassan operate a shipping empire from Dubai while being recognized as grandchildren of Ali Shamkhani, former security chief and senior adviser to the supreme leader. Researcher Ella Rosenberg from the Jerusalem Centre for Foreign Affairs describes them as "the equivalent of the Iranian Gossip Girl" for their displays of luxury cars and opulent high-rise living in north Tehran.
"Their lifestyle has enraged, not only made angry, but enraged the citizens of Iran," Rosenberg explains, "specifically Gen Z in their age group, mainly because they see how these rich kids live – with no accountability for anything that they do."
Protest Context and Government Response
The current wave of protests began on December 28th following dramatic increases in living costs and a sharp decline in currency value. Citizens initially directed their anger toward economic conditions before turning their attention to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and calling for an end to his rule.
The Iranian government has labeled all demonstrations as "riots" and responded with brutal force, including internet blackouts imposed on January 8th. Human rights organizations fear thousands have been killed, with reports of protesters being burned alive, beaten, and shot by security forces.
Instagram accounts like "The Rich Kids of Tehran" have emerged to highlight both the decadent lives of Iran's privileged youth and the destruction caused by government crackdowns since protests began. This digital documentation creates a permanent record of the stark inequalities that have fueled public anger across Iranian society.
As Iranians in Britain express fear for loved ones back home and the international community watches developments, the contrast between the aghazadeh's Instagram displays and the reality facing most Iranians grows increasingly difficult to ignore.
