Amid the US-Iran war, Irani actor-activist Mandana Karimi has reaffirmed her fierce opposition to the country’s ruling establishment, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“No one celebrates innocent loss of life. But you cannot ask a nation that has endured decades of executions, imprisonment, torture, and mass crackdowns to react with conventional mourning,” she says, adding that for many Iranians, “Celebration has become a form of resistance and a way to reclaim power over grief.”

Addressing accusations that such reactions amount to endorsing foreign military intervention, she responds: “This was not a random foreign agenda imposed on us. No one wants bombs in their country, but when all internal paths to reform are blocked, people begin to look outward.”

Mandana, 37, adds how Irani citizens are now calling for political activist Reza Pahlavi as their leader. “The chants of Javid Shah (Long live the king, a slogan opposing the Irani government) did not start abroad… they started inside Iran. We see Pahlavi as a transitional alternative capable of uniting the country.”

Actor Esha Gupta and shuttler P V Sindhu, who were stranded in the UAE amid the air travel shutdown, shared respective updates about being “back home”. Esha wrote, “I saw the strength of UAE... Thank you to our government for bringing the citizens home. Thank you to UAE government for working in solidarity with every country.”

Meanwhile, Sindhu wrote: “A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time.” She had to pull out of the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026 due to the Dubai ordeal.