Only hours after Iranians wrapped up nationwide marches Feb. 11 marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution — characterized as usual by anti-American slogans — US President Donald Trump came out with his first-ever tweet in Persian, referring to four decades of rule by the Islamic Republic as a period of corruption, repression and terror.
The tweet featured an iconic picture taken from protests mainly over economic grievances that rocked Iran in late 2017 and early 2018. The photojournalist who took the image, 37-year-old Yalda Moayyeri, was quick to react on her Instagram page, slamming Trump for exploiting her work. “It would be a great honor for me if this image would be a symbol of freedom everywhere in the world, but having President Trump use it without my permission in a tweet in Persian … is a great shame for me and causes me deep sorrow,” Moayyeri said.
