March 1, 2026

In the first hours of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, opponents of the war and critics of the Islamic Republic from across the political spectrum quickly made their divergent voices heard on Farsi social media.

While anti-war activists were swift to revive the Farsi hashtag “No to War” on Saturday, pro-monarchy groups and individuals, led by Reza Pahlavi, called for an escalation of attacks on Iran.

Pahlavi, the Israel-aligned son of the country’s last shah, has been at the helm of a movement advocating the restoration of the monarchy. Since Israel’s 12-day war on Iran last year, his camp has mounted an aggressive media campaign against rival opposition voices.