Fury erupted in Iran over the wedding of the daughter of a senior advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, due to the “Western” clothing choices and luxury displayed. At a time when the Islamic Republic enforces strict laws regarding the hijab and modesty, Fatemeh, daughter of Ali Shamkhani, married in a white strapless wedding dress with a deep neckline. Indeed, in a video that captured moments from her wedding, the bride entered accompanied by her father into the ceremony hall of Tehran’s luxurious Espinas Palace hotel, as guests applauded to musical accompaniment.
Read: Iran: Suspension of bill for harsher penalties on women who refuse to wear headscarves
Fury in Iran: hypocrisy and “morality police”
According to the Daily Mail, footage from Fatemeh Shamkhani’s wedding sparked intense reactions on Iranian social media, with many accusing her family of hypocrisy, given the strict modesty laws that have restricted women’s clothing for decades. Iran is even planning to strengthen the “Morality Police” with 80,000 additional personnel to ensure women comply with Islamic dress codes, as reported by the independent television network Iran International. Amid this situation, internet users heavily commented on both the bride’s “revealing” choice and her mother’s low neckline, while the wealth displayed by the family didn’t escape criticism either. It’s noteworthy that in 2022, approximately half of Iran’s population of 92 million was below the poverty line, according to reports from Iran’s Statistical Center.
فیلم عروسی دختر علی شمخانی به دستم رسیده. شما هم ببینید. گشت ارشاد و بیکاری و فقر مال مردمه، مراسم میلیاردی با پول ملت هم مال اینا. pic.twitter.com/El7emXKkPh
— Cameron Behzadi (@CameronBehzadi) October 18, 2025
“Women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair”
Meanwhile, exiled Iranian women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote: “The daughter of Ali Shamkhani, one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers, had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranians furious. Because they enforce ‘Islamic values’ with bullets, batons and prisons on everyone except themselves. This isn’t hypocrisy, it’s the system. They preach ‘modesty’ while their own daughters parade in designer dresses. The message couldn’t be clearer: The rules are for you, not for them.”
Similar commentary came from Alireza Akhondi, a Swedish parliamentarian of Iranian origin who has been a fierce critic of the regime. Specifically, Alireza Akhondi wrote: “The daughter of one of the Islamic Republic’s most corrupt and oppressive officials marries in a lavish celebration, dressed freely. She is free because her father has power. This is no longer religion. This is a display of hypocrisy, corruption and fear. Fear of women who think and choose freely.”
It should be noted that Shamkhani, former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, became Khamenei’s advisor in May 2023. The wedding reportedly took place in April 2024.
The daughter of Ali Shamkhani one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranian furious. Because they… https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN pic.twitter.com/WoRgbpXQFA
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 19, 2025
