Mahlagha Jaberi’s Controversial Stance: Supporting Strikes on Iran

Did you know that while Mahlagha Jaberi was framing the bombardment of her homeland, Iran, as "U.S. and Israeli humanitarian aid" to her millions of Instagram followers, she was actually vacationing in Switzerland?

It is true. While the Iranian people were enduring the impact of thousands of missiles and drones, while hundreds of civilians lost their lives and countless others lost hope with every siren, and while homes, schools, and hospitals were being reduced to rubble, Jaberi was immersed in a luxury holiday.

Even upon her return, from the comfort and affluence of Los Angeles, her focus remained entirely on the lavish preparations for her wedding and honeymoon. This striking contrast highlights a profound disconnect between her claims of empathy and the reality of her indifference.

While Jaberi adopted a somber persona on Instagram, playing the role of a grieving woman concerned for the Iranian people, her actual lifestyle was worlds apart from this performative image. In a blatant contradiction, she was simultaneously active on Snapchat, incessantly producing cheerful and entertaining content for her Arabic-speaking audience! Such behavior suggests that her sorrow for her country was merely a targeted mask designed to deceive her Persian-speaking followers. On a different platform, she unashamedly showcased a glamorous and carefree life, proving that her nationalistic concerns were little more than tools for media clout and attention-seeking.

This self-proclaimed humanitarian, who presents herself as a voice of women and the Iranian people, has limited her advocacy to promotional campaigns for Reza Pahlavi and the whitewashing of Israeli and American military actions. This reveals a total ignorance of the grim realities on the ground in Iran.

Now that the credibility of Iranian "diaspora" celebrities has collapsed, they are all scrambling to rehabilitate their public images. They have realized that neither the return of the prince nor the promises of regime change are feasible. It has become clear that the empty vows made by Pahlavi, Israel, Trump, and media outlets like Iran-International were devoid of truth.

There is little doubt that the influencers who campaigned tirelessly for Pahlavi, or launched initiatives to thank Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Lindsey Graham while calling for the bombing of Iran, were motivated by lucrative contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Otherwise, this level of blind support and the "beautification" of a bloody war under the guise of "peace-seeking operations" defies all logic except for financial gain. Their current efforts to delete posts and distort their history serve as the ultimate proof that these self-styled patriots were merely obedient pawns.

One need only look at Mahlagha Jaberi’s Instagram page to see the evidence. She has deleted all traces of her war-whitewashing, including likes, comments, stories, and reposted content. Before the people of Iran regained internet access following a 100-day total blackout, she was busy reconstructing her public persona. However, public awareness has evolved beyond the deceptions of these digital figures.

For instance, in the last 60 days alone, she has lost nearly 200,000 followers, with 122,000 of those losses occurring just this past week. The truth is that expatriate Instagram figures hold no standing without the support of the suffering people inside the country. The collapse of their engagement, with likes plummeting from hundreds of thousands to barely 10,000 after the internet shutdown, explains why they are now frantically scrubbing their past content.

The Great Pretender: A Trail of Deception from Cannes to Tehran

In a recent and overtly orchestrated promotional interview with EVIE, Mahlagha Jaberi attempted to fabricate a new public image. The conversation was conspicuously devoid of a single challenging question regarding her previous controversies or political stances. Instead, the piece lavished her with descriptors such as "brave woman," "the voice of Iranian women," and "courageous." This is a bitter and biting irony. One must ask: where exactly does this courage reside?

She has never been a genuine advocate for women, particularly Iranian women. It is difficult to characterize someone as a "strong personality" when they have yet to come to terms with their own authentic self. An individual whose professional identity is constructed upon manufactured imagery, extending even to the aesthetic editing of their own childhood photos, remains miles away from the true essence of female empowerment.

Unfortunately, Jaberi has established unrealistic and harmful standards through the widespread sharing of heavily manipulated content. This includes everything from digitally enhancing her facial features to reshaping her physical proportions. By hiding behind FaceApp filters, she presents a distorted blueprint for young girls who inevitably measure their self-worth against these fabricated illusions.

Jaberi’s achievements are as fabricated and devoid of truth as her political stances. From the false claim of appearing on the cover of "Vanity Fair" and creating controversies for celebrities like Burak Özçivit, Nancy Ajram, and Michele Morrone, to the blatant theft of a Finnish blogger's photographs (Kira Lindbohm), her track record is one of deception. She is not even honest with her audience regarding the most basic facts, such as her eye color, her facial features, or her actual height.

For years, Jaberi claimed that her eye color was a unique shade of blue-grey; however, her natural eye color is actually dark brown. The image below, from her 2008 photoshoot for the website "Dreamstime," clearly reveals the true, dark brown color of her eyes!

In addition to her eye color, her height has also sparked controversy. Looking at the image below, the height difference between Mahlagha Jaberi and Priyanka Chopra raises significant questions. While Jaberi has claimed to be 5'9 tall and Priyanka is 5'6, Jaberi appears shorter and more petite than Priyanka in this photo, even though both are wearing similar high heels.

Also, every year, Jaberi expends exorbitant sums to purchase red carpet tickets for the Cannes and Venice film festivals and to hire private photographers, attempting to project the image of a top-tier cinema star by meticulously recreating the poses of Aishwarya Rai. However, this glamorous performance raises unanswered questions:

If she is confident in her status as a true star, why must her manager "Myhanh Nguyen" personally appear on the red carpet to photograph her?

In the video below from 2021, the Cannes Film Festival security team is seen initially issuing a warning to Mahlagha Jaberi. Subsequently, security personnel surround her manager, who was photographing Jaberi on the red carpet; these actions were taken because their presence and photography directly violated the festival's strict regulations.

And why, year after year, do we witness the distribution of promotional flyers among the public and photographers (at Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival) just so they might recognize her name?

Most peculiar of all is the constant and inseparable presence of "Daniel Mirkin" by her side; a mysterious figure without whom Jaberi has never been permitted entry to the Cannes red carpet.

If she is indeed a global celebrity, why is she not allowed to walk this carpet alone? The truth remains that a genuine star does not need to hire photographers, distribute flyers, or depend on the presence of others simply to be noticed.

The irony is palpable: Evie magazine has chosen to ignore the facts, retreating to 2023 to paint a portrait of Mahlagha Jaberi as a "feminist lioness" simply for wearing a specific dress at the Cannes Film Festival. In reality, the "noose" dress saga did nothing to benefit the public or halt executions; it served merely as a platform for Jaberi and her designer to garner headlines.

If Jaberi were truly committed to political protest, she would have used her platform to amplify the voices of the people through substantive discourse, rather than posting an unexplained, erotically charged video on Instagram. Exploiting a national movement for personal fame does not a feminist hero make.

If Mahlagha Jaberi considers herself a supporter of the Iranian people, a reflection of their voice, and a political activist, then the following questions must be addressed:

• Why has she never offered "genuine" support to the oppressed people of Iran, and why has her advocacy always been "selective" and based on her personal interests?
• Why does Jaberi only remember to support the Iranian people when there is a profit to be made? For instance, during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, she limited herself to sharing a few posts and stories about the Pahlavi family which were entirely irrelevant to the cause. After months of silence, she appeared at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a dress featuring a "noose" symbol, garnering hundreds of international headlines for herself and her designer. Did she not use this movement merely as a vehicle for self-promotion?
• Why does she exclusively support Reza Pahlavi and the monarchist movement? Why has she never been the voice of political prisoners who sacrificed their lives for this cause? Why has she failed to support individuals such as Narges Mohammadi, Fatemeh Sepehri, Taraneh Alidoosti, and thousands of other political prisoners? Does she not claim to be the voice of Iranian women and its people?
• With over 4 million followers on Instagram, why did Jaberi support a military attack on her homeland? Was she unaware that war never leads to freedom and that its only consequences are poverty and misery that will plague the people for decades?
• Why, in her Instagram posts and interviews, did she portray the brutal and bloody attacks by Israel and the United States as "humanitarian aid"?
• What is the reason behind Jaberi’s "whitewashing" of Israeli and American military actions?
• Why did she claim in an interview with *An-Nahar* that these attacks were merely "targeted precision strikes"? What, then, of the destruction of thousands of residential units, the deaths of thousands of civilians, the destruction of refineries, the environmental pollution (which persists for two decades and leads to cancer), and the demolition of bridges, pharmacies, schools, hospitals, and public spaces? Are these catastrophes also examples of "precision strikes" and "humanitarian aid"?
• Why did Jaberi never post a message of condolence for the 168 children killed in the Minab school incident, but instead held the Islamic Republic responsible for the attack? How were those children any different from the martyrs of the January protests?
• Why, following the Minab school tragedy, did she share stories offering condolences for three killed American soldiers while remaining silent regarding her own compatriots?
• Why does Jaberi not protest the false promises of Reza Pahlavi? Did Pahlavi not call on the people to take to the streets empty-handed and seize military bases on January 8th and 9th? What was his objective in making this call at 8:00 PM? What happened to his claim that 150,000 defecting IRGC forces would join the people? Did he not claim victory was near and the regime had fallen? Where are the hundreds of thousands of "Starlink" devices he promised?
• Why did Jaberi not react to Pahlavi's statements to foreign media that "this is a war, and war has casualties"? If it was a state of war, why did he deceive the people and send them into the field empty-handed? Was he seeking victims for the propaganda of restoring the monarchy?
• Why did Jaberi remain silent regarding Reza Pahlavi's falsehood when he claimed, "I asked the people to stay home after January 9th"? In reality, from January 9th to the 16th, despite being aware of the bloody events of the 8th and 9th, he repeatedly called the people to the streets. Why did Jaberi not object?
• Why does she not protest the hijacking of the people's peaceful protests by Pahlavi and his role in leading them astray?
• Why did Jaberi attack Bella Hadid, Huda Kattan, and other celebrities for their opposition to a military strike on Iran, while she herself has never once supported the people of Palestine and Gaza? How can she object to Bella Hadid, who has repeatedly expressed solidarity with the Iranian people?
• What is the reason for Jaberi’s extensive whitewashing of the Pahlavis, Israel, and the United States? Are there financial motivations involved?

• And dozens of other "whys"...

Now, let us turn to the core issue:

The Selective Patriotism

Jaberi, an influencer boasting over 4 million followers, has faced widespread criticism since the inception of her career for her exclusive use of the English language. Despite living in Iran until the age of 19.5, she has consistently prioritized a foreign audience over her Persian-speaking compatriots. For years, the Iranian people's share of her annual content was relegated to nothing more than a perfunctory and cliché Nowruz greeting.

However, her approach underwent a significant shift in 2023. Following her attendance at the "NUFDI Nowruz Gala" in Washington (2024), hosted by the Pahlavi family, Jaberi began openly endorsing Reza Pahlavi. Since then, Persian content has finally surfaced on her page, yet its presence serves solely as a vehicle for political propaganda and promotion of the Pahlavi dynasty.

With a specific focus on the Constitutionalist movement, Jaberi has now explicitly declared her objective: the restoration of the monarchy and the return of Reza Pahlavi to power in the 21st century. This stance stands in stark contradiction to the global trend of abolishing or limiting monarchical systems.

Most striking is her 2026 Nowruz celebration, marked by a video featuring images of the Pahlavi family. Using peculiar rhetoric, she claimed, "This year, we celebrate Nowruz by the Prince’s command." This statement reveals the sheer depth of her dependency and the lack of independence in her so-called political activism.

The Heroism of Killers: When ‘Liberation’ Means Bombing Your Own Homeland

Returning to the core of the debate: have you ever witnessed someone express joy over the bombardment of their own motherland? War, by its very nature, rains explosives upon a populace and leaves deep-seated traumas that scar the body of a nation for generations. Yet, remarkably, there are those who extend their gratitude to the aggressors. This is occurring within a nation that has, for years, been submerged deeper into poverty under the shadow of crippling sanctions and the hostile policies of the United States.

Until witnessing the reactions of a specific faction of the monarchist opposition abroad, believing in such a bizarre phenomenon was difficult. A spectrum of celebrities, athletes, and models ranging from Shohreh Aghdashloo and Ali Karimi to Mahlagha Jaberi, Leyla Milani, Farnoush Hamidian, Mahnaz Afshar, and Sogand, alongside presenters from outlets like "Iran International" and "BBC Persian" actively called for U.S. airstrikes on Iran. They explicitly declared their goal as regime change, intended to pave the way for Reza Pahlavi’s ascent to power.

Even after U.S. and Israeli strikes commenced, hitting residential areas, claiming the lives of civilians including women and children, and destroying vital infrastructure, this group did not merely remain silent. Instead, they utilized hashtags such as "Thank You Trump" and "Thank You Bibi" to demand an escalation of the attacks. They did so under the preposterous claim that this carnage was a "humanitarian" act aimed at liberating the people.

In recent months, Mahlagha Jaberi has repeatedly used her social media platforms to champion military strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Characterizing these invasions as "precision targeting" and "humanitarian aid," she claimed that the bombs exclusively hit military positions and spared civilians.

Jaberi further joined pro-Pahlavi rallies in Washington and Los Angeles, aligning herself with those thanking Trump for the bombing of their country while calling for more.

The height of this audacity was reached just after the tragic military strike on the "Minab" school, which resulted in the deaths of 168 innocent children. In the immediate aftermath, Jaberi reposted videos of American soldiers dancing, labeling them "Heros." It is nearly beyond belief: a display of the killers’ revelry, performed directly upon the spilled blood of the nation’s children. One must ask her: what was the difference between those innocent children and the "immortalized" victims of the previous January protests?

However, following the ceasefire and the release of credible reports documenting civilian casualties, the destruction of homes, and the crippling of infrastructure, Jaberi pivoted. In a reactive move, she began scrubbing the controversial content from her pages. She conducted this media "cleansing" just before the restoration of internet access within Iran, attempting to distance herself from her previous support for military operations before facing domestic public opinion. Yet, this attempt at image rehabilitation came far too late. In the digital age, numerous screenshots and archives of her statements remain in the public domain, ensuring that these records are etched into the collective memory.

The War of Narratives: Behind an Influencer’s Support for Military Intervention

On February 28, 2026, Jaberi announced that she had cast her vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, explicitly stating that her objective was to facilitate regime change in Iran. Even prior to the outbreak of hostilities, she had been a vocal proponent of military action against the Islamic Republic.

She said: “Nov 3, 2024, the first time I ever stood in line to vote, it was for President Trump, with so much hope that he would be the one to help free Iran from this terrorist regime that occupied Iran for the past 47 years and killed millions of people. Thank you President Trump for giving us the Iranian people a chance to get our country back.”

Throughout the conflict, she publicly expressed gratitude toward Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for lobbying Trump to initiate a strike against Iran. Furthermore, she aligned herself with the "Thank You Trump" campaign, a movement that gained traction among specific segments of the Iranian diaspora.

In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Annahar, Jaberi claimed that the joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes exclusively targeted the Iranian regime's military and strategic sites, asserting that no civilians were harmed. Regarding U.S. military personnel, she remarked: "I want to thank the members of the U.S. military who lost their lives in this cause for their service and bravery. Your courage and sacrifices will be remembered for generations, particularly in Iran."

On Instagram, she further posted: "To those that say 'No to War' shame on you! America is hitting Iran's military spots."

Additionally, she liked and reshared content from Kaye Khousheh Alagband and Keyan Zomorodi , who held the Islamic Republic responsible for a lethal attack on a school in Minab. Like many other expatriate influencers, she faced accusations of whitewashing the military actions of the United States and Israel.

Even following official confirmation that the United States had carried out the strike, which resulted in the deaths of 168 students, Jaberi commented that the parents of the victims were to blame. She wrote:

“Heart breaking 💔 Parents should have never sent their kids to school after receiving so many warnings from President Trump and PRP. (Prince Reza Pahlavi)”

The Battle for the Narrative

It is particularly noteworthy that during the 2026 Oscars ceremony, Mahlagha Jaberi reacted sharply to the anti-war and pro-Palestine statements made by Spanish actor Javier Bardem. While presenting the award for Best International Feature Film, Bardem declared, “No to war, free Palestine,” a remark that referenced the geopolitical crises in both Iran and Palestine. In a pointed response, Jaberi commented on a critical Instagram Reel posted by Shiva Negar, directly addressing the actor by stating: “Unfortunately, actors get paid to say whatever they are told to say.”

Jaberi further extended her criticism to Bella Hadid by liking and mentioning her under a critical video produced by Kaye Khousheh Alagband. In the video, Alagband accused Hadid of hypocrisy, claiming her vague expressions of sympathy for the Iranian people were merely attempts to exploit Iranian suffering to bolster her "activism brand." The critique highlighted Hadid's perceived silence during periods of mass killings in Iran, including the January events. Furthermore, Alagband argued that Hadid's family, specifically her father Mohamed Hadid, has focused exclusively on pro-Palestinian advocacy without ever directly condemning the Islamic Republic.

Despite these accusations, Bella Hadid has a documented history of supporting Iranian protests. During the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, she expressed solidarity with Mahsa Amini, and as recently as March 2026, she wrote:

“My heart is with the people of Iran and every civilian trapped in government decisions. The future of Iran belongs to its people, not to those who silence them or use them as leverage.”

This backlash from Jaberi and several prominent Iranian diaspora influencers is highly significant. It underscores a growing friction, as these influencers are often criticized for the very selective activism they condemn in others, having provided no meaningful or substantial support for the Palestinian cause themselves.

The friction has also spilled into the commercial sector. Jaberi actively joined the campaign to unfollow and boycott the Huda Beauty brand after its founder, Huda Kattan, reposted content from a government-organized rally during the January 2026 (Dey 1404) protests. The shared material, which featured protesters burning images of Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi, incensed many Iranians in the diaspora and triggered a widespread boycott.

Huda Kattan later addressed the controversy through a series of Instagram videos and stories. Issuing an apology, she explained that her opposition to American military action against Iran was rooted in her personal history as an Iraqi. She emphasized that her stance stems from witnessing the devastation caused by foreign interventions in Iraq and Libya, maintaining that such actions consistently result in regional destruction rather than liberation.

Too Late for Medicine: Why Deleting Posts Cannot Erase Collective Memory

Mahlagha Jaberi’s staunch defense of military intervention has ignited a firestorm of criticism across social media. Detractors accuse her of ignoring the inevitable civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure. In recent months, she has faced intense backlash not only from anti-war Iranians but also from international audiences, particularly Arabic-speaking users. Since publicly endorsing the strikes, Jaberi has seen a significant decline in her follower count.

Following this sharp exodus of followers and widespread condemnation, Jaberi shifted her approach and deleted many of her pro-war posts. Many observers view this move as a calculated attempt at damage control rather than genuine remorse, aimed solely at preserving her brand and public image.

However, as the Portuguese saying goes, "It is too late; Inês is dead" a sentiment akin to the Persian proverb regarding "the medicine that arrives after Sohrab has died." Although it was impossible to screenshot every single one of her statements, many key remarks have been documented to ensure public accountability remains intact.