Jane Fonda Protests US Strikes on Iran as Iranian Americans Celebrate in LA

Activist actress leaves $6M mansion to denounce military action, while Iranian Americans in 'Tehrangeles' cheer attacks on Tehran

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Longtime anti-war activist Jane Fonda left her $6 million Los Angeles home on Saturday to join protesters outside City Hall and denounce the Trump administration's recent military strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, hundreds of Iranian Americans in the city's large Iranian expatriate community, known as 'Tehrangeles', took to the streets to celebrate the US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran's supreme leader.

Why it matters

Fonda's high-profile protest highlights the deep political divisions in the US over the use of military force, even as Iranian Americans in LA express joy over the targeted killing of a top Iranian leader. The contrasting reactions underscore the complex geopolitical tensions and their impact on local communities.

The details

Fonda, an 88-year-old actress known for her anti-war activism during the Vietnam War, criticized the strikes as 'an unnecessary, unprovoked war of choice' that has already claimed civilian lives. She warned the conflict risks 'exploding into a vast war of mass proportions'. Meanwhile, Iranian Americans in LA, home to the largest Iranian expatriate community in the US, marched and waved flags to celebrate the US-Israeli operation that killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

  • Fonda left her $6 million LA home on Saturday, February 28, 2026 to join the protest.
  • The US and Israeli airstrikes that killed Khamenei occurred on the same day, February 28, 2026.

The players

Jane Fonda

An 88-year-old American actress and longtime anti-war activist who is known for her protests against US military actions, including the Vietnam War.

Ali Khamenei

The supreme leader of Iran who was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, 2026.

Shervin Khorramian

A 55-year-old LA resident who was part of the Iranian American community celebrating the strikes on Iran's leadership.

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What they’re saying

“Right now we are witnessing the horror of an unnecessary, unprovoked war of choice waged by the Trump administration, a war that has already taken the lives of dozens of schoolchildren because they bombed a girls' school in Iraq, among other civilian targets… Iran.”

— Jane Fonda, Actress and activist

“I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to dance. I want to laugh — but above all, I just want to celebrate.”

— Shervin Khorramian, LA resident

What’s next

The long-term geopolitical and regional implications of the US strikes on Iran remain to be seen, as tensions continue to escalate between the two countries.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the deep ideological divides within the US over the use of military force, as well as the complex and often conflicting reactions of different communities to major foreign policy decisions that impact their homelands.