Iran shuts down popular coffee chain over cups supposedly celebrating Khamenei’s death
Iranian authorities reportedly ordered the closure of a well-known cafe chain on Saturday after officials claimed the design on one of its coffee cups was disrespectful toward Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The chain, Lamiz — often compared to Starbucks in Tehran — had released cups featuring artwork from a 1975 painting by Iranian artist Farshid Mesghali. The image shows an empty chair with purple and red drops of rain falling from above. The artwork was originally created for the 10th Tehran International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults held that same year.
According to reports, the Iranian government shut down all Lamiz locations following backlash from hardline supporters of the regime. On the back of the cup, the phrase “spring is coming” appears in Farsi.
Some supporters of the Iranian government interpreted the empty chair in the design as a reference to the seat long associated with Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28, an attack that triggered the current Iran war. Critics within the regime claimed the image appeared to mock what they described as the “martyrdom” of the former leader of the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s current political system was established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended the country’s monarchy and brought the Islamic Republic to power.
Lamiz cafes have been known as popular gathering spots for younger Iranians in the conservative country, where alcohol is banned. A 2016 profile described the chain as a social hub for youth culture.
The company operates more than 40 locations across Iran, many of them in Tehran, and is known for its modern, hip atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media on March 16 showed what appeared to be an AI-generated scene of a Lamiz cafe location bombed and burning. The video included a caption posted on Instagram that read, “All the attachments to Trump were a mirage!”
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