Reality television star Reza Farahan, known for Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset, is speaking out in support of the recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran, arguing that many Iranians view the intervention as a potential path toward freedom from the country’s ruling regime.
Farahan, who was born in Iran and immigrated to the United States as a young child, shared his views during an interview with Fox News Digital while discussing his upcoming memoir, Memoirs of a Gay Shah. The 52-year-old explained that his family originally came to the United States on a trip in 1977 but decided to stay as political unrest in Iran escalated into the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
That revolution toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power, establishing the Islamic Republic that continues to govern Iran under a religious system.
Farahan’s comments come after a dramatic escalation in conflict in the region. Last weekend, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched coordinated strikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets. During those operations, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, according to reports. Iran later retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East.
The confrontation follows mass anti-government protests in Iran in December 2025, which were met with severe crackdowns by the government that reportedly left thousands dead.
Farahan said that from conversations with relatives and friends still living inside Iran, many people there view the strikes positively.
“I’ve spoken to relatives and friends who are in Iran, and I know it’s hard for non-Iranians to understand this, but the Iranians in Iran are so happy that there is military intervention that has come to help rescue them from the Islamic Republic,” he said.
According to Farahan, the possibility of regime change and greater freedom is something many Iranians have long hoped for.
“The prospect of freedom is something that they’ve dreamed of for so many years,” he said, encouraging Americans to research the situation and listen to voices from inside Iran.
He added that among Iranian-Americans, he has seen strong support for the intervention.
“Utter elation and gratitude for the prospect that there could be potential regime change and freedom for people that have been oppressed by a fanatical religious dictator for 47 years,” Farahan said.
Public opinion in the United States remains sharply divided on the military action. According to a recent Fox News poll, 65% of voters view Iran as a serious national security threat, but the country is split roughly evenly on the strikes themselves, with about half approving and half disapproving.
The divide is strongly partisan. More than 80% of Republicans support the strikes, while most Democrats oppose them and say they believe the situation may make the United States less safe. Many voters have also expressed concern about the president authorizing military action without congressional approval.
Farahan addressed critics of the intervention, arguing that political disagreements in the U.S. should not overshadow what he believes is the broader threat posed by Iran’s ruling government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“When the creed and motto of a dictator is ‘Death to America,’ and they force the people to chant that all the livelong day, believe them,” he said.
Beyond geopolitics, Farahan also spoke about his personal experience as a gay Iranian-American. He noted that LGBTQ individuals face severe persecution under Iran’s laws and said he likely would not have survived had his family remained there.
“If I were in Iran, 100% I wouldn’t have made it to this age,” he said. “Gay people are stoned to death or hung from cranes regularly.”
Farahan became one of the first openly gay Persian-American reality TV personalities when Shahs of Sunset premiered in 2012, appearing on the show throughout its nine-season run. His relationship with his husband Adam Neely was featured prominently on the series, including their wedding episode in 2015.
Reflecting on his life in the United States, Farahan said the current conflict has deepened his appreciation for his adopted country.
“I’m so proud to have a U.S. passport,” he said. “God bless America. I love this country, and I’m grateful for it every single day.”
