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A video showing the wedding of the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, has reignited public anger in the country, with social media users accusing officials of hypocrisy amid worsening poverty and the resurgence of hijab patrols.
The video posted on X on October 17 shows Shamkhani, a member of Iran's Expediency Council, escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, to a grand wedding hall.
The images, reminiscent of Western-style weddings where the father walks the bride down the aisle, drew immediate attention for the bride's revealing dress and her mother's low neckline - both unusual in a country where mandatory hijab and modesty laws have been enforced for decades.
The event, reportedly held in April 2024 at Tehran's luxury Espinas Palace hotel, had already attracted attention when Iranian media estimated its cost at around 14 billion rials (over $21,000). The family has never publicly commented on the reports.
Such meetings are usually held in secret. “Without hypocrisy, why would there be such a secret?” wrote a user named Esmail Esbati on X.
Some social media users have downplayed the wedding video, describing it as comparable to countless other ceremonies in Iran in terms of scale and expense.
For many Iranians, however, Shamkhani's wedding fits a familiar pattern - high-ranking officials publicly preaching revolutionary austerity and simplicity, while privately enjoying privileges.
In 2022, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf faced a similar scandal dubbed “Layette-Gate,” in which his wife, daughter, and son-in-law were seen returning from Turkey with luxury children’s items. The episode, seen as a symbol of elite hypocrisy, resurfaced during his presidential bid in 2024.
Iran's long-running economic crisis has fueled public discontent. After years of sanctions, mismanagement and inflation exceeding 40 percent, the middle class has largely collapsed.
Hundreds of thousands suffer from malnutrition, and many young Iranians postpone or abandon marriage altogether as costs rise sharply.
A video purportedly showing the wedding of the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, has sparked widespread reactions on social media.
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 18, 2025
Users are criticizing the Islamic Republic officials' hypocrisy and double standards, pointing to the lavish nature... pic.twitter.com/Dk5y9Vvgqy
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