Tehran Warns It Will Confiscate Property of Iranians Abroad Who Back U.S. Strikes

Tehran has threatened to confiscate the assets of Iranian nationals living abroad who assist or support the United States and Israel in their war with Iran. “A warning has been issued to those Iranians living abroad who in different ways ​sympathise, support, or cooperate with the American-Zionist enemy,” said the prosecutor general’s office, according to state media. “They will be met with the confiscation of all their properties and other legal penalties in accordance with the law.” The office reportedly referenced a law which approves the seizure of assets belonging to individuals who cooperate with “hostile” governments or groups that don’t align with Iran’s security interests. Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, segments of the Iranian diaspora have gathered in several cities across the U.S. and abroad in public celebration.  These reactions stand in stark contrast to the mourning instructions put forth by the Iranian regime.  As of 2024, there were 750,000 Iranians living in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center. Non-profit research foundation the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN), in a report published in August 2025, found that only about 20% of Iranians in 2024 supported the continuation of the Islamic Republic. The invocation of the warning from Tehran comes after Mojtaba Khamenei was confirmed to succeed his father as Supreme Leader, defying U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence that he be involved in the selection process. The move signals an intention to continue the hardline regime which has been in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Trump previously referred to Mojtaba, Khamenei’s second son, as an “unacceptable” choice and reportedly told Fox News he was “not happy” about the appointment.  Meanwhile, the widening Iran war, currently in its 10th day, shows no signs of abating. Trump has demanded an “unconditional surrender” from Iran—a request that has so far been firmly rejected. The war has brought the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, to a standstill, prompting a surge in crude oil prices, with a barrel now costing more than $100 for the first time since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Finance ministers within G7, an intergovernmental political forum comprising seven of the world’s most advanced economies—including the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Japan—held an emergency meeting Monday to address the soaring prices. Whilst no formal outcome has been reached, the International Energy Agency (IEA) confirmed all available options were discussed, including “making IEA emergency oil stocks available to the market.” IEA member countries currently hold over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks.