A controversial diplomatic gesture in the heart of the Caucasus has sparked a diplomatic firestorm. On Feb. 11, the Tbilisi TV Tower, which looms over the Georgian capital, was illuminated in the green, white, and red of the Iranian flag – just weeks after Tehran executed one of the most brutal crackdowns on domestic dissent in modern history.
Tbilisi City Hall defended the move, claiming the illumination at the request of the Iranian Embassy was “standard practice” for accredited diplomatic missions.
However, the timing has been labeled tone-deaf by observers. According to the human rights monitor HRANA, the Iranian regime’s suppression of recent protests in January 2026 has reached catastrophic levels: 6,961 confirmed dead at the hands of security forces, 51,000+ detained, including students, artists, and activists, 11,000+ injured in street clashes.
Besides that, Georgian officials joined the festivities. Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia – recently returned from a mission to Washington – attended the Iranian National Day event, remarkably hailing the 1979 Revolution as a “symbol of Iran’s development.”
Israel lashes out
The Israeli Embassy in Tbilisi issued a rare and stinging public rebuke of its host country, highlighting the moral contradiction of the display.
“While Iran’s murderous, terror-supporting regime slaughters thousands in the streets of its cities, suppresses its own citizens, and is actively engaged in terror in the region and worldwide, in Tbilisi they choose to celebrate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran with that very regime by lighting the Mtatsminda TV tower in the colors of its flag,” the Embassy stated. “What message is Tbilisi sending to the region, the world, and to the citizens of Iran who have long been striving for freedom and democracy?”
Tehran’s propaganda victory
The embattled regime in Tehran was quick to utilize the imagery. Iranian Ambassador Seyed Ali Mojani posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the tower’s colors served as “clear proof” that the Islamic Republic is “internationally recognized and respected.”
The shadow of Washington
The controversy arrives at a perilous moment for Georgia. On Feb. 6, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting nations maintaining robust trade ties with Iran with secondary tariffs.
While Georgian officials cited “close economic and scientific cooperation” during the anniversary events, these very ties may now place Tbilisi in the crosshairs of the new US administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
As Georgia attempts to walk a tightrope between its Western aspirations and pragmatic regional diplomacy, the red and green lights on Mtatsminda mountain suggest a tilt toward a regime increasingly isolated by the democratic world.