US EditionIranian Women Light Cigarettes on Burning Portrait of the Ayatollah
Women protest by lighting cigarettes on burning photos of Iran's Supreme Leader, defying smoking bans and authoritarian rules amid growing economic hardship and unrest.
- Last month, Iranian women began lighting cigarettes with burning images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid protests that erupted in Tehran's Grand Bazaar and spread nationwide.
- Economic strain and social controls have driven protesters to reject mandatory hijab laws by combining cigarette-burning with defiance amid Iran's weakened economy under US sanctions.
- Security forces have reportedly killed dozens and used gunfire in Zahedan, while authorities imposed an internet and phone blackout on Thursday.
- Social media amplified the trend by sharing videos and photos thousands of times, while Reuters footage shows women led online but young men dominated street protests.
- Burning images of the supreme leader is a serious offence under Iranian law, Khamenei accused demonstrators of acting as `mercenaries for foreigners`, while Reza Pahlavi urged protests on Friday and President Donald Trump warned he was `locked and loaded`.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Iran protest of women who light up the cigarette with the photo of Ayatollah
The ongoing strong anti-regime protests in Iran are also accompanied by a viral phenomenon on social media: photos and videos of women with uncovered hair lighting cigarettes with pictures of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme spiritual leader of the Iranian regime. At least some of these posts, however, come from exiles or are older. Meanwhile, reports of a growing death toll are coming from Iran itself, and due to the blocking of the Internet…
COURAGEOUS “hijab-free” Iranian women are burning photos of Supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, in streets
Across social media, new videos are going viral. They show women calmly setting fire to photographs of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — then using that flame to light a cigarette. The act is deliberate, slow, and unmistakably defiant, becoming one of the boldest protest symbols Iran has seen in years. In Iran, burning the Supreme Leader’s image […]
This practice is becoming a trend on social networks despite attempts at censorship by the repressive apparatus
In Iran, anger against the establishment has now become symbolic, not slogans. Women have chosen a method that strikes directly at the root of religious authority.
Why Iran women are lighting cigarettes from burning Khamenei photos amid protests
Iranian women seem to have ignited a new protest trend, lighting cigarettes from burning photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid the bloody unrest that has gripped the Middle Eastern nation.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
