Mahlagha Jaberi

Mahlagha Jaberi
Jaberi in 2025
Born (1989-06-17) June 17, 1989
Isfahan, Iran
OccupationInstagram Influencer
Years active2012–present
Partner
Armin Asadyari
​
(m. 2026)​
Modeling information
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Hair colorDark Brown
Eye colorDark Brown

Mahlagha Jaberi Dashtestani (Persian: مه‌لقا جابری, born 17 June 1989) is an Iranian Instagram influencer. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s among Iranian and Arab users by sharing digitally altered images of herself on social media.[2]

Early life and career

Mahlagha Jaberi was born on June 17, 1989 in Isfahan. She has three older sisters named Khatereh, Raheleh, and Arezou, and is the youngest child in the family. Jaberi spent her youth in Iran until the age of nineteen. In the late 2000s, she and her sister Arezou worked as models for local beauty salons and bridal boutiques. After their older sister Raheleh began working as a photographer for the stock photography website Dreamstime in 2007, Mahlagha and Arezou became the primary subjects of her artistic photography and modeling.[3]

Jaberi for Dreamstime in 2009 (unretouched)

Raheleh then used Photoshop and beauty retouching to edit Mahlagha's photos to resemble traditional Persian miniature paintings.[4][5][6] The publication of these images on Dreamstime and Raheleh's personal Flickr page played a significant role in introducing Mahlagha Jaberi. The photos quickly attracted the attention of many Iranian and Arab users and went viral on the internet.[2]

Following this online fame among Iranian and Arab users, and relying on this strategy, Jaberi expanded her activity on the social media platforms Myspace and Facebook. She initially began her activity on Myspace under the pseudonym 'Aisha Unique', a name inspired by the Bollywood actress and beauty queen Aishwarya Rai. Sometime later, she continued her activities on these networks under her real name, 'Mahlagha Jaberi'.[7][8][9]

Jaberi's bridal shoot in 2007
Jaberi, Osuna and Golzar at the Stello show in 2015

In 2009 at the age of 19, she immigrated from Iran to the United States with her mother Mehri and her sisters Raheleh and Arezou, settling in California. Jaberi later joined Instagram and at the age of 23 made her first runway appearance as a bridal model at the Negah Bridal Magazine fashion show held in San Diego in October 2012.[3][10][11][12]

Jaberi then pursued her modeling career more seriously. In 2013 she began collaborating with Iranian fashion designer Pedram Pasha Taheri and in the same year worked with Los Angeles-based brands such as Stello and Walter Mendez. Between 2014 and 2015 she represented these brands on the runway at Los Angeles Fashion Week.[13][14][15][16]

Continuing her modeling career, Jaberi began collaborating with the Saudi brand Hania in 2015, appearing as a model in the brand's advertising campaigns for Arabic abayas and kaftans.[17][18][19] She subsequently began a long-term Instagram collaboration with Saudi fashion designer Eman Alajlan in 2018.[20] Furthermore, during her appearances at the Cannes Film Festival, Jaberi walked the red carpet wearing designs by Arab fashion houses and designers, including Eman Alajlan, Rami Kadi, and Atelier Zuhra.[21][22]

In 2023, Jaberi had a one-off advertising collaboration with the Saudi perfume brand Ibrahim Al-Qurashi and appeared in the promotional video for the "Pink Diamond" fragrance. In the same year she undertook another one-off promotional project for the brand Palm Designs appearing in their marketing campaigns showcasing Arabic abayas.[23] Additionally, since 2023 Jaberi has served as the brand ambassador for the Glamour clinic in Riyadh which is managed by dr. Fadi Nasr and she has frequently highlighted her use of the professional services of this center in her social media content.[24][25][26]

Alongside her fashion activities, Jaberi appeared in the 2022 music video for Ebi's song 'Horme To'.[27]

Following a three-year period of focusing on modeling between 2013 and 2016, Jaberi shifted her primary focus to Instagram. In recent years, she has operated as an influencer, creating content chiefly centered on travel and lifestyle. Her output includes sharing personal photographs with her husband and publishing sponsored content for clothing brands, dietary and weight-loss products, hair extensions and vitamins, beauty and medical services, as well as hospitality and resort destinations.[28][29][30]

Personal life

Mahlagha Jaberi and Armin Asadyari at their engagement, June 2025

Following a three-year relationship, Jaberi announced her engagement to Armin Asadyari, an Iranian photographer and videographer, in August 2025 by sharing their proposal video on Instagram.[31]

In June 2026, the couple married at the historic Villa Erba on Lake Como, Italy.[32]

Political views

U.S.–Israel war with Iran

During the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, Jaberi emerged as a vocal supporter of military intervention against Iran, stating she voted for Donald Trump in 2024 election to support regime change.[33][34][35] She joined the Iranian diaspora's "Thank You Trump" campaign and thanked Mohammed bin Salman for encouraging U.S. intervention.[36] Through her participation in pro-Reza Pahlavi rallies in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, as well as her Instagram activity, she sought to frame U.S. military strikes as "humanitarian aid" intended to liberate the Iranian people.[37][38]

In an interview with An-Nahar, Jaberi defended the joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes, maintaining they targeted only strategic military centers without civilian casualties, and expressed gratitude for the sacrifices of U.S. military personnel.[39][33] However, during an attack on a school in Minab, she shared Instagram contents blaming the Iranian government, which contrasted with international media reports and U.S. official assessments attributing the missile strike to U.S. forces.[40][41]

Jaberi's endorsement of the military operations and her claims of zero civilian casualties, which she made while vacationing in Switzerland and criticizing opponents of the war, drew significant online backlash and led to a reported loss of over 100,000 Instagram followers.[33][42][43] Additionally, during the 2026 Academy Awards, she criticized actor Javier Bardem's anti-war speech ("No to war, Free Palestine"), commenting that actors are paid to deliver such statements.[33] Following the April 2026 ceasefire, and before internet access was fully restored in Iran, Jaberi deleted all her social media posts supporting the military intervention.[33][44][45]

Support for Pahlavi

In March 2024, Jaberi attended a Nowruz celebration hosted by the Pahlavi family at the NUFDI event. Following this, she publicly declared her support for Reza Pahlavi through social media and by participating in rallies advocating for the restoration of the monarchy, shifting the focus of her activities toward supporting the monarchist movement.[46][47][48]

Cannes Film Festival

In 2023, in protest against executions following the 2022–2023 protests in Iran, Jaberi appeared on the red carpet at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for the film The Old Oak wearing an outfit that included a necklace shaped like a noose.[49] According to Jaberi, the phrase "Stop Executions" was written on the back of the garment, but festival security personnel prevented her from displaying it.[50][51]

Controversies and criticism

Jaberi at the Cannes 2025

Criticism

Photo retouching and eye color

In 2011, Jaberi gained widespread popularity on Facebook and MySpace through her selfies, with her green-gray eyes becoming her most prominent feature. However, in 2021, she revealed her natural eye color is dark brown, explaining she had used colored contact lenses and digital editing.[2][52][53]

This reliance on beauty filters and retouching previously drew criticism on Reddit, which intensified after her Cannes Film Festival appearance, where unedited Getty images photos revealed a contrast with her self-published images.[2][48]

Claim of appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair (Emirates edition)

In August 2024, Jaberi claimed on Instagram that she was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair Emarat, drawing congratulations from Independent Persian.[54][55][56][57] However, Condé Nast, the official publisher of Vanity Fair, does not produce an edition in the United Arab Emirates or any Arab nation; its international titles are strictly limited to the US, UK, Italy, Spain, France, and Mexico. The website for Vanity Fair Emarat became inaccessible shortly after, which was cited as evidence that the publication was counterfeit and Jaberi's claim was unfounded.[58][48]

Controversies

Burak Özçivit

In 2017, Jaberi drew attention by commenting "Seni Seviyoruz" ('We love you' in Turkish)[59] on a post by prominent Turkish actor Burak Özçivit.[60] While the comment increased her visibility among Turkish audiences and added to her fame, it also attracted negative reactions from both Iranian and Turkish social media users. In a subsequent interview with the Iranian magazine Pol, Jaberi said that Özçivit had blocked her on Instagram and that "people took my comment the wrong way and interpreted it as I was "in love with him;" which was not true".[61][62]

Accusation of photo theft from Kira Lindbohm

In 2021, Finnish blogger Kira Lindbohm accused Jaberi of copyright infringement and unethical behavior. Lindbohm stated that Jaberi had digitally superimposed (photoshopped) her own face onto one of Lindbohm's 2019 travel photos from Tulum, Mexico, and published it on her Instagram account as her own.[63][64]

Claim regarding the Assyrian Lamassu as Iranian

In July 2021, Jaberi faced backlash from Iraqi social media users after posting a photo of herself next to a Lamassu statue at the Louvre Museum, captioning it "My Iran." Critics pointed out that the ancient Assyrian artifact originated from modern-day Iraq, accusing her of misattributing Iraqi cultural heritage to Iran. Jaberi subsequently deleted the post.[65][66][67]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi Biography". Filmmakers. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Mahlagha Jaberi and the Magic of Photoshop!". Motivation. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  3. 1 2 sadmin (2023-12-16). "Exclusive interview with Mahlagha Jaberi". POL Magazine (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  4. ↑ Jaberi, Raheleh (2008-04-12), Mahlagha Jaberi beauty photoshoot by Raheleh in 2008, retrieved 2026-07-15
  5. ↑ Jaberi, Raheleh (2008-08-14), my sweet sister: Mahlagha, retrieved 2026-07-15
  6. ↑ Jaberi, Raheleh. "tears on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Raheleh Jaberi (Model: Mahlagha)". www.flickr.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-31. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  7. ↑ "لبست الخاتم… خطوبة عارضة الأزياء العالمية مهلقا جابري!". MTV Lebanon. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  8. ↑ "تعرض ممثلة ايرانية لموقف محرج في مهرجان فينيسيا السينمائي". وكالة الصحافة المستقلة (in Arabic). 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  9. ↑ Mackey, Malorie (2022-03-16). "Mahlagha Jaberi: A Kind Heart in a Self-Centered Society | Fashionisers©". Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  10. ↑ Mahlagha Archive (2023-12-22). Mahlagha Jaberi - Negah Bridal - Runway - 2012. Retrieved 2026-06-30 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ Hartman, Anna (2026-04-28). "Mahlagha Jaberi Left Iran At 19 And She's Not Staying Quiet About What She Left Behind". Evie Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  12. ↑ "Interview with Mahlagha Jaberi – PALLAZZO-MAGAZINE" (in German). Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  13. ↑ "SS 2015 – Pedram Couture". Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  14. ↑ Ezat, Lama (2014-08-03). "Zahrat Al Khaleej - Look of the Day: The world's most beautiful woman, Mahlagha Jaberi, in a romantic gown". Zahrat Al Khaleej (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ Staff, W. W. D. (2014-10-23). "Walter Mendez RTW Spring 2015". WWD. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  16. ↑ Mahlagha Archive (2023-12-30). Mahlagha Jaberi // Runway Evolution (2012-2015). Retrieved 2026-06-30 – via YouTube.
  17. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi". 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  18. ↑ "الإيرانية ماهلاغا جابري "مُثيرة "بالعباية الخليجية وتنشر صورتها بدون مكياج". دنيا الوطن (in Arabic). 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  19. ↑ "بالصور : ماهلاغا وكيم والنجمات ينافسن الخليجيات بالعباية؟". www.assawsana.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  20. ↑ "EMAN ALAJLAN – Lookbook Magazine Paris". 2021-08-15. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ "Cover Featuring Mahlagha Jaberi". Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  22. ↑ Friscourt, Jean (2021-08-05). "مهرجان " كان " السينمائي يثبت العلاقه بين ماهلاغا جابري والدكتور احمد البوقري ، تحفظ وتصريح مقتضب لحضور اسمه | شارع الفن". Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  23. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi cruises through the streets of Riyadh in a convertible". Layalina (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  24. ↑ "فادي نصر يكشف لـ Et بالعربي "الترند" الأبرز في عالم التجميل - بموضوعية" (in Arabic). 2025-08-29. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  25. ↑ التحرير, منبر (2025-08-17). "طبيب عربي السر وراء جمال مهلاقا جابري.. فمن هو؟". منبر التحرير (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  26. ↑ "فادي نصر يكشف الترند الأبرز في عالم التجميل.. وماذا فعل لـ مهلاقا جابري قبل زفافها!". www.alraiionline.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  27. ↑ Caltex Records (2021-04-09). EBI - HORME TO (Official Video) | ابی - هرم تو. Retrieved 2026-07-17 – via YouTube.
  28. ↑ "ماهلاغا جابري تصف السعوديات بالطموح والقوة والسعي وراء الأحلام | مجلة سيدتي". www.sayidaty.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  29. ↑ الجباخنجي, إيناس (2026-07-04). "إطلالة عروس استثنائية.. ماهلاغا جابري تتألق بفستان دانتيل فاخر". مجلة الجوهرة (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  30. ↑ "An Interview with Mahlagha Jaberi | Aleph Magazine". Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  31. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi's romantic engagement on the Amalfi Coast" (in Arabic). 2025-08-24. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  32. ↑ "Mahlagha Jabri's wedding was a reflection of her elegant and serene style". annahar.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2026-07-05. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mahlagha Jaberi's Controversial Stance: Supporting Strikes on Iran". Critique. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  34. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: Thank you, President Trump, for giving us, the Iranian people, a chance to take back our country!". Annas News (in Arabic). 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  35. ↑ Hartman, Anna (2026-04-28). "Mahlagha Jaberi Left Iran At 19 And She's Not Staying Quiet About What She Left Behind". Evie Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  36. ↑ "'Unlawful, unnecessary': Mamdani, Harris, AOC oppose Trump's Iran move; Iranian-Americans celebrate". Archived from the original on 2026-03-12. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  37. ↑ Boutros, Carla. Mahlagha Jaberi's support for military action against Iran (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-04-18 – via www.blinx.com.
  38. ↑ Boing (2026-04-18). "Mahlagha Jaberi Supported U.S.-Israel Bombing Her Own Country!". Medium. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  39. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi to "An-Nahar": I will return to Iran when it becomes a free country without prisons and torture".
  40. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: The War in Iran Could Become a Turning Point for Freedom". An-Nahar.
  41. ↑ "From Modeling to Activism: Mahlagha Jaberi's Bold Stance Against Tehran". Syria One (in Arabic). 2026-04-06. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  42. ↑ "Fashion model Mahlagha Jaberi in the line of fire after supporting Trump in his war on Iran". HawacomTV (in Arabic). 2026-02-28. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  43. ↑ "Following her support for Trump's policy on Iran, Mahlagha Jaberi has faced significant backlash". alsiasi.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  44. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: What is happening to my people is deeply painful" (in Arabic). 2026-04-23. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  45. ↑ Press, Good (2026-04-23). "Mahlagha Jabri breaks her silence: What is happening to my people is painful... Hope still exists". Good Press. Archived from the original on 2026-04-29. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
  46. ↑ Sham.adm (2026-04-07). "Mahlagha Jaberi Endorses Reza Pahlavi's Vision and Trump's Firm Stance on Iran" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  47. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: The "Girl of Isfahan" rises against the regime". Channel 23 news (in Arabic). 2026-04-06. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  48. 1 2 3 "Mahlagha Jaberi's Controversial Stance: Supporting Strikes on Iran". Critique. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  49. ↑ Goh, Amanda. "An Iranian model wore a black dress with a neckline that looks like a noose on the Cannes red carpet in protest against executions in her home country". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  50. ↑ "Iranian model Mahlagha Jaberi says she wore noose dress to bring attention to "wrongful executions" in Iran - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  51. ↑ Allaire, Christian (2023-05-31). ""We Need to Stand Against This": Iranian Designer Jila Saber on Her Political Cannes Dress". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  52. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi's Eye Color".
  53. ↑ Rza, Emanuel (2025-02-10). "What You Don't Know About Mahlagha Jaberi". Medium. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  54. ↑ "Art and future visions: Mahlagha Jaberi's inspiring journey in the fashion world" (in Persian). 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  55. ↑ Mahlagha Jaberi and Vanity Fair Magazine, retrieved 2026-04-04
  56. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: From the streets of Iran to the pages of prestigious American magazines". modimag (in Persian). Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  57. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi: Honored to be on the cover of Vanityfair UAE". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  58. ↑ "Fashion, Art, and Ambition: The Inspiring Path of Mahlagha Jaberi". vanityfairuae.com. Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  59. ↑ "Araplar Burak Özçivit ile Mahlahga Jaberi en iyi çift ilan etti –". 4 February 2017.
  60. ↑ "İranlı model Mahlagha Jaberi: Burak Özçivit beni çok incitti!".
  61. ↑ sadmin (2023-12-16). "Exclusive interview with Mahlagha Jaberi". POL Magazine (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  62. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi'den Burak Özçivit açıklaması". 8 February 2017.
  63. ↑ Ollas, Monica (2021-04-12). "Mitä ihmettä? Iranilaismalli julkaisi Kira Kososen sensuellin kuvan omanaan 3,5 miljoonalle seuraajalleen – editoi otosta röyhkeällä tavalla: "Tämä on jo epäammattimaista" – katso!". Seiska.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  64. ↑ Makkonen, Nita (2021-04-13). "Suomalainen bloggaaja Kira Kosonen otti upean kuvan Meksikon-matkallaan – sitten häntä odotti Instagramissa melkoinen pommi". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  65. ↑ "Iranian model attributes Iraqi winged bull to Iran | Al-Arab Newspaper".
  66. ↑ "Mahlagha Jaberi angers Iraqis, forced to delete photos and explain" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  67. ↑ "Watch: Famous Iranian model sparks outrage among Iraqis – Mazmaz". mz-mz.net. Retrieved 2026-03-24.

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