Iran’s prosecutor general’s office has warned that Iranians living abroad who express support for the United States and Israel could face confiscation of their property and other legal penalties, according to a report by Reuters on Monday. The warning follows celebrations by some members of the Iranian diaspora after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Quoting Iranian state media, Reuters reported that the prosecutor general’s office issued a warning to Iranians overseas who “sympathise, support or cooperate with the American-Zionist enemy.” Authorities said such actions would be met with the seizure of all properties belonging to those individuals in Iran, along with other punishments allowed under Iranian law.
The announcement came as some Iranians living abroad took to the streets in cities across Europe and the United States to celebrate Khamenei’s death. Iran moved quickly to establish new leadership, naming Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader’s son, as his successor on Monday.
Reuters also reported that newly created channels on the messaging platform Telegram have begun sharing details of prominent Iranians abroad who have posted comments supportive of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign, which began on February 28. The channels appear to highlight critics of Iran’s clerical leadership, raising concerns among activists about potential targeting and reprisals.
Despite the threats from Tehran, some members of the diaspora say they are not intimidated. Meyam Aghakhani, an Iranian who works in a shop in London, told Reuters that many people abroad are less concerned about their assets than about the risks faced by protesters inside Iran. He said that people within the country often confront armed security forces with little protection and sometimes lose their lives during demonstrations.
Others expressed similar determination to continue opposing the government. Naser Kayvani, who owns a dry-cleaning business in London, told Reuters that many Iranians have spent more than four decades trying to achieve political change. He added that recent violence against protesters has reinforced the belief among many that they have no alternative but to continue pushing for a different form of governance.
According to Iranian government data cited by Reuters, up to five million Iranians live abroad, most of them in the United States and Western Europe, although some Iranian media estimates put the number closer to ten million. As tensions remain high following the war and the leadership transition, Tehran’s warning signals a growing confrontation between the Iranian state and a vocal segment of its global diaspora.
