Iran: Images of Women Lighting Cigarettes with Khamenei's Burning Photo Go Viral | Spotlight

Iran’s latest protests are being defined not just by slogans, but by powerful images. As unrest grows over economic hardship, photographs of Iranian women lighting cigarettes using burning images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have gone viral. In Iran, burning the leader’s image is a serious crime, and women smoking in public is also frowned upon, making the act a bold symbol of defiance. This moment builds on earlier protest symbols. After the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, women cut their hair, burned headscarves, and appeared in public without hijabs, images that shocked the world. Despite arrests, raids, and even deaths linked to similar acts in the past, these symbols continue to emerge, showing that fear is no longer stopping resistance.