A leaked video of a very westernised wedding is triggering a controversy with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reason: The video is from the wedding of the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The video which recently resurfaced on Iranian social media shows Shamkhani's daughter wearing a off-shoulder, revealing wedding gown with a barely-there white veil. Besides the westernised clothing of the bride, many women in the video are seen without a headscarve, triggering critism about the lives of double life of Islamic Republic officials and their hypocrisy.
Shamkhani, the father of the bride, is seen holding his daughter's hand as he leads her into the hall. The gesture is reminiscent of wedding ceremony styles in Western countries, contradicting the Islamic Republic's official propaganda the avoidance of Western culture and the attention to Islamic rituals.
Many Iranians have also criticised the regime for not tolerating this type of clothing for ordinary citizens while the officials continue to flaunt such clothing. In Iran, authorities have sealed off cafes, restaurants, and halls for not complying with the mandatory hijab.
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
The lavish wedding was also held at the expensive Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran, one of the most expensive hotels in the country. All this when people in Iran to endure economic hardships and livelihood problems caused by sanctions, mismanagement, and economic corruption in Iran. According to media reports in Iran, the ceremony was held last year. Even at that time, reports of the wedding had triggered speculations.
Iranian newspaper Arman Melli carried a story on the wedding wherein it questioned how regime officials can ask the public to remain patient amid economic sanctions while hosting lavish celebrations. “If we are not to be accused of pessimism, allow us to ask how one can call on people to show patience under economic sanctions when Shamkhani’s daughter’s wedding is held in one of the country’s most luxurious and expensive venues,” Arman Melli wrote.
Holding a wedding at the Espinas Hotel would cost about 1.4 billion tomans, which contradicts Shamkhani's statements about thrift and simple living.
The video video also caught the attention of Israel, which took to X to highlight the hypocrisy. The fficial Persian-language page of the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Instagram, while posting pictures of Shamkhani's daughter's wedding, wrote: "So, are the mandatory Islamic guidance and hijab patrols only for ordinary Iranians."
