Iranian authorities ordered the closure of all Tehran branches of the popular Lamiz coffee chain. The reason is a new design on disposable coffee cups, which authorities interpreted as a reference to the killing of the country's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The design triggered the authorities' crackdown despite the fact that, according to the company, it was created even before the war began. Al-Monitor ↗
The cups depicted an empty chair surrounded by a rain of colored drops. The Iranian state agencies Tasnim and Mehr labeled the motif a suspicious design directed against the martyred imam, as the authorities refer to the deceased leader. Persian-language media based outside Iran also viewed the empty chair as a comment on the fact that Khamenei's son and appointed successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has, according to some media, not appeared in public since his appointment. Al-Monitor ↗
However, according to the Iranian opposition media outlet Iran International, the design was based on a 1975 painting by Iranian artist Farshid Mesghali. Mesghali is an internationally recognized illustrator and laureate of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. According to Lamiz itself, the design had no political meaning. Iran International ↗
Lamiz's branches in Tehran were sealed off on the order of judicial authorities. The chain operates more than twenty locations in the capital, as well as further outlets outside Tehran. According to available information, the closure applies only to the Tehran branches. Yahoo News/AFP ↗
The café defended itself through a statement on social media, which the authorities subsequently blocked. Lamiz stated that it designs special cups every year on the occasion of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, which Iranians celebrated last week. The chain denied any political intent: "The cups have absolutely no connection to recent events. Their production, from the approval of the final design to printing, took several months, and their delivery to warehouses was completed before these events began." Al-Monitor ↗
Tehran and other major Iranian cities have experienced a boom in café culture in recent years. Cafés have become places of freedom especially for the younger generation — serving as meeting spots as well as artistic hubs. Their owners have repeatedly come into conflict with the authorities over alleged non-compliance with Islamic dress codes for women, as well as during the anti-regime protests in January 2026. Yahoo News/AFP ↗
In Iran today, the problem may not be what you say. It's enough for someone to think that's what you meant.
Iran shut down popular Lamiz coffee shop chain: The cup design allegedly referenced Khamenei's death
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