Instagram's 'Rich Kids Of Tehran' Shows Iranian Elites Living It Up Despite Sanctions

InstagramFollowing in the footsteps of Rich Kids of Instagram comes a Middle Eastern competitor from a country where you might least expect it.

Rich Kids of Tehran posted its first picture three weeks ago, but the account already has almost 40,000 followers on Instagram.

The gratuitous exhibitions of wealth and sexuality have come as a surprise to many both inside and outside the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is subject to strict international sanctions and Islamic laws that prohibit alcohol and immodest dressing.

But for the children of Iran's elite, it appears the rules don't apply. Flaunting iPhones, luxury watches, and European cars, it would appear the wealthy and powerful have suffered little under sanctions compared with millions of others in the country.

InstagramWhile it's common for young people in Tehran to hold house parties, drink alcohol, and ditch their headscarves behind closed doors - rarely is it publicly celebrated so freely online. The Times reports that many of the "Rich Kids" pictured are children of Iran's ruling elite, living with assumed immunity from a regime crackdown.

Earlier this year, several young Iranians were lucky to escape with suspended sentences from the conservative judiciary after they were arrested for posting a video of themselves dancing to "Happy" on YouTube.

For their part, the page's administrators told Business Insider they were sick of Iran's constant negative portrayal in the media.

"The aim of our page is to show the world the good side of Iran. Every time Iran is mentioned on TV or news, they always talk negatively and we are trying to show the good side," they told us.

More than two-thirds of Iran's population is now under 35, and it appears they are rejecting the Islamic revolutionary values of their elders who supported Islamic rule. In fact, the biggest challenge to Iran's revolutionary hardliners may just come from their own children.