Georgian Dream Official Attends Iran Revolution Event as Tbilisi TV Tower Lit in Iranian Flag Colors
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, February 13, 2026
The Georgian Dream Deputy Foreign Minister attended an event marking the 47th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, while Tbilisi's TV tower was illuminated in the colors of the Iranian flag on February 11, moves that drew sharp criticism from Israel and renewed debate inside Georgia.
According to the Iranian Embassy in Georgia, GD Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia attended the anniversary reception in Tbilisi, which was organized by the embassy and attended by around 500 guests. The embassy said participants included ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions, military attachés, and representatives from business, culture, media, and Georgia's Iranian community.
The embassy said the event opened with the national anthems of Iran and Georgia, followed by a video presenting what it described as the "achievements" of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Iranian Ambassador Seyed Ali Mojani then addressed the audience, praising the Islamic Republic's record over the past 47 years.
"He emphasized Iran's determination to strengthen its position regionally and internationally," the embassy said, adding that Mojani stressed Iran's readiness "to confront any threats from its adversaries" and highlighted diplomacy and negotiations as tools for addressing challenges.
According to the embassy, Darsalia congratulated Iran "on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution" and noted that Iran was among the first countries to recognize Georgia's independence. The statement said he also emphasized the Georgian government's readiness to continue cooperation with Iran "to advance a positive regional agenda."
Media reports said Anzor Chubinidze, head of Georgia's Special State Protection Service, was also present at the event, though this was not mentioned in the embassy's statement.
On the same night, Tbilisi's TV tower on Mtatsminda was lit in the colors of the Iranian flag. Tbilisi City Hall told Publika that the illumination followed a request from the Iranian Embassy to mark Iran's national holiday. Ambassador Mojani shared a video of the tower on Facebook, calling it "a clear symbol that the respect for today's Iran is recognized officially and internationally."
The move prompted a strong reaction from Israel. In a statement published on February 12, the Israeli Embassy in Georgia criticized the decision.
"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 by lighting the Mtatsminda TV tower in the colors of its flag," the embassy said.
"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?" the statement added.
Georgian Dream officials have largely avoided public criticism of Iran amid recent unrest there. In January, disputed Parliament Vice Speaker Gia Volski said that instability in Iran would not be in Georgia's interest.
"It is not in our interest for Iran to be upended because that would trigger a chain of destabilization stretching as far as the Persian Gulf," Volski said, adding that the opposition's pressure to issue stronger statements could harm Georgia.
