WATCH | Iran's supreme leader's aide faces backlash after daughter’s lavish, hijab-free wedding

A video showing the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, wearing a strapless wedding dress at a luxurious Tehran hotel has ignited significant controversy. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on October 17, depicts Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into the upscale Espinas Palace Hotel, where guests cheer as she walks in wearing a designer gown with a low neckline. The extravagant wedding, seen as a stark contrast to the regime’s stringent dress codes for women, has sparked a backlash. Critics argue that it exposes the hypocrisy of Iran’s leadership, which imposes severe hijab laws on the public while allowing the elite to bypass them. Shamkhani, who has previously overseen brutal crackdowns on anti-hijab protests, is being accused of double standards.

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Masih Alinejad, an exiled activist, condemned the event on X, emphasising the irony that while women in Iran face violence for showing their hair, the daughter of a key government official celebrates in a strapless gown. She accused the regime of preaching modesty while their own families are exempt from such rules. Swedish-Iranian politician Alireza Akhondi also criticised the wedding, calling it a clear demonstration of corruption and privilege. He noted that Fatemeh Shamkhani’s freedom to wear whatever she wanted is a direct result of her father’s powerful position, which he argued had little to do with religion.

Watch the viral video here

The incident has sparked debate just as Iran plans to expand its morality police force with 80,000 new officers tasked with enforcing strict hijab laws in Tehran. The wedding, which reportedly took place in April 2024, is further fueling anger among those who believe the regime’s leaders are hypocritical in their treatment of women. Ali Shamkhani, 70, has long been a loyal ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He previously served as defense minister and headed the Supreme National Security Council until 2023. Under his leadership, the regime implemented a brutal crackdown on protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, who died in police custody after allegedly violating hijab regulations. The government’s violent response led to the deaths of over 500 people and the arrest of thousands more, particularly targeting women and girls.