UPDATE 2015 GMT: Director Ashgar Farhadi's interview after the Oscars ceremony, including his assessment of the regime's reaction to his film's award:
UPDATE 1900 GMT: Although Iranian official and semi-official media have expressed pride in the victory of A Separation, they have put their own spin on the triumph.
In its initial story, Fars added a phrase (in italics) in director Ashgar Farhadi's acceptance speech, "I proudly offer this award to the people of my country who, despite all the tensions and hostility of recent months between Iran and the West over Iran’s nuclear programme, respect all cultures and civilizations."
Javad Shamaghdari, head of the National Cinematic Agency --- which replaced the banned House of Cinema to supposedly represent Iran's filmmakers --- said, "This is the beginning of the collapse of the influence of the Zionist lobby over American society."
UPDATE 1810 GMT: More than 50 political prisoners have congratulated director Ashgar Farhadi in a public statement. Messages have also come from former President Mohammad Khatami; Morteza Eshraghi, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini; Jafar Panahi, the famous filmmaker under threat of a six-year sentence; and classical music legend Homayoun Shajarian.
On Sunday night, Ashgar Farhadi's A Separation won the Oscar for Best Foreign-Lanugage Film. Accepting the award, Farhadi delivered a short speech in English, "At this time many Iranians around the world are watching us, and I imagine them to be very happy....At a time when talk of war, aggression, and intimidation is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country Iran is spoken here through her glorious culture".
In Iran, even Fars, the outlet linked to the Revolutionary Guards, is joining in the celebrations, noting Farhadi's dedication of the award to the "values shared by all cultures and civilisations". The website of State broadcaster IRIB announced, "The prize-magnet movie was awarded [its honour] at the biggest night of the film industry at the Hollywood and Highland Center (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) on Sunday."
Iranian overseas celebrate the moment of victory:
