Women lounge in designer bikinis next to glistening infinity pools . Young men race their latest Porsches and Maseratis , their wrists draped in gold jewelry . Partygoers take sips from bottles of bubbly inside plush mansions . The photos could be of the young , high-society crowd in Beverly Hills , New York or Miami . But looks can be deceiving . Meet the `` Rich Kids of Tehran , '' a social media phenomenon that has attracted worldwide attention for offering a startling glimpse at the decadent lifestyle of wealthy young Iranians in one of the world 's most socially conservative countries . After launching in September on Instagram , the mobile photo-sharing platform , @ RichKidsofTehran quickly amassed more than 100,000 followers by posting hundreds of pictures of fast luxury cars , house parties in gated neighborhoods and attractive young women in slinky dresses . The account , a spinoff of the original U.S.-based hit @ RichKidsofInstagram , also has showcased people drinking what appears to be alcohol and young women flouting Muslim custom by not wearing hijabs , or head scarves . Alcohol has been strictly forbidden in the country since the 1979 Iranian Revolution , and laws mandate that women dress modestly and keep their hair covered with a hijab while in public -- although it appears that most of the Instagram photos were taken on private property . In a post that has since been deleted , the account 's creators defended their photos and the idea behind them . `` We have changed the way the world looks at us , '' they wrote in the post , which was widely shared by media outlets before it was pulled . `` People ( in Iran ) do n't use camels for transportation but some choose to use 'Italian and German horses . ' `` We did not have any bad intentions and we are not against anyone . We wanted to show the luxurious side of Tehran to the world . '' One social media expert has a slightly different interpretation . `` There are conservative elements in Iran that would frown upon these images because they show young people in bikinis and others drinking alcohol . What I see are images of kids who are rebelling against the social norms that they grew up with , '' said Jamie Turner , co-author of `` How to Make Money with Social Media '' and CEO of 60 Second Marketer . `` Instagram is really a megaphone for people in repressed social and political environments to stand up and say , ' I 'm here , I 'm alive , and I want to rebel against the social and cultural values of my parents ' generation , ' '' Turner said . That megaphone was silenced somewhat when the @ RichKidsofTehran account was shut down in October , just a month after it launched . Although the Iranian government has tried to block access to social media sites in the past , there 's no evidence that happened in this case . Only Instagram , or one of its users , can delete an individual account . A spokesperson for Instagram confirmed that the account is no longer active . The spokesperson would not comment further about the account and referred CNN to Instagram 's policy that includes rules against posting unauthorized photos . `` When we receive an intellectual property infringement claim from a rights ' owner , we take appropriate action , which could include removal of the content , '' the policy states . But @ RichKidsofTehran would not die . The original inspired a number of copycat accounts , all showing young affluent partyers purporting to live in Iran . Some of the accounts attract thousands of followers and are still active . Not long after the original account was shut down , it apparently resurfaced with a new name : @ RichKidsofTeh . Its creators sent a Twitter message referring fans to the new Instagram account , which now credits the person who took the photos . Meanwhile , the identity of whoever was behind the original account remains a mystery . CNN sent messages to the email address listed on the account and received some cryptic responses . `` We are putting our lives at danger for this , '' said one message . `` You can record my voice ... God knows what can happen to me , '' said another , in response to a request for a phone interview . The respondent agreed to phone CNN at an appointed time , but the call never came . When CNN later sent an email asking whether the account 's creators had posted content without people 's permission , we received this response : `` You think your ( sic ) clever do n't you . NO COMMENT . ''
` ` ' Kids of Tehran '' is a popular Twitter account for wealthy young Iranians . It offers a startling look at decadent lifestyles in a socially conservative Iran . The account was shut down in 2016 , but later resurfaced with a new name .