Iran’s diaspora faces property confiscation for backing political change

DUBAI – Iranians living abroad could have property confiscated and face other legal penalties if they express support for the United States and ‌Israel, the Iranian prosecutor general's office said on Monday.

Some members of the Iranian diaspora who want political change in Tehran took to the streets of European and American cities to celebrate the ⁠killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father.

"A warning has been issued to those Iranians living abroad who in different ways ​sympathise, support or cooperate with the American-Zionist (Israeli) ​enemy," the prosecutor general's office was quoted as saying by ‌state ⁠media.

"They will be met with the confiscation of all their properties and other legal penalties in accordance with the law."

Newly-established channels on Telegram have shared details of prominent ⁠Iranians living abroad who have posted comments critical of Iran's clerical authorities and supportive of the US-Israeli military campaign that ⁠began on February 28.

Up to 5 million Iranians live abroad, the majority of them in the United ⁠States and Western Europe, according to Iranian government data.

Iranian media put their numbers closer to 10 million.