TehrangelesتهرانجلسIranian Los AngelesPersian LAWestwood Los Angeles IranianIran International TVPersian music LAIranian diaspora CaliforniaLos Angeles PersiansLittle Persia LA
Los Angeles is home to the world's largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran — estimates range from 500,000 to over 700,000 in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Concentrated in Westwood (where signs are in Farsi and Persian restaurants line Westwood Boulevard), Beverly Hills, and the San Fernando Valley, this community is so large it earned the nickname 'Tehrangeles.'
The first wave came after the 1979 revolution — wealthy professionals, intellectuals, and Jews who had prospered under the Shah. Subsequent waves included those fleeing the Iran-Iraq War, economic collapse, and political persecution. The LA Iranian community includes Nobel laureates, Oscar winners, tech billionaires, and some of the world's most celebrated physicians.
Tehrangeles is the global capital of the Iranian freedom movement. Iran International TV (headquartered in London but beamed through LA Persian satellite networks) broadcasts news of protests to Iranians inside Iran. Persian-language concerts at the Staples Center and demonstrations in Century City attract tens of thousands. The Nowruz parade on Westwood Boulevard is the largest outside Iran.
Related Historical Events
Dey Protests (2017–2018) — Protests erupt across 160+ cities — the first time ordinary Iranians openly reject the entire system.
The Twelve-Day War (June 2025) — Israel-Iran military conflict severely degrades Iran's military and pushes economy to collapse.
December Uprising (December 2025) — Tehran's Grand Bazaar erupts in protest. Merchants shut stalls. Protests spread to 200+ cities in 72 hours.
January Massacres (January 2026) — IRGC carries out mass killings — thousands killed in 48 hours. 53,000+ arrested. Protests do not stop.
Protests Sweep Iran (Jan–Feb 2026) — University sit-ins, oil worker strikes, women marching without headscarves. The regime loses control.
Global Diaspora Rallies (Jan–Feb 2026) — 150,000+ in LA, 250,000 in Munich, massive rallies in Vancouver, Toronto, London, Berlin. 'Pahlavi will return.'
Los Angeles is called 'Tehrangeles' because it hosts the world's largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran — estimated at 500,000-700,000. The Westwood neighborhood has been a Persian cultural hub since the 1979 revolution brought the first wave of Iranian immigrants.
What role does the LA Iranian community play in Iran's freedom movement?
The LA Iranian diaspora funds human rights organizations, organizes demonstrations (some drawing 100,000+), supports Farsi-language media, and maintains cultural institutions that preserve Iranian identity and transmit it to the next generation.