Why Images Of Iranian Women Lighting Cigarettes With Khamenei’s Photo

10th January 2026 at 3:37 PM

1 minute read

New Delhi : The bloody mass uprising in Iran has witnessed a new trend. Visuals of Iranian women lighting cigarettes from burning photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have become one of the lasting images of the anti-government protests that have rocked the Middle Eastern country for the past two weeks. The development comes as protests against the theocratic regime of 86-year-old Khamenei have only swelled in recent days in defiance of a crackdown.

The protests, which erupted over the economy and soaring prices, have quickly snowballed into a broader agitation against the Khamenei regime and corruption. Unlike the past, the protesters are not merely seeking reform, but rejecting the Islamic Republic itself. The people of Iran, the young and the aged alike, have filled the streets of the capital, Tehran, and other cities. Slogans like “Death to Khamenei” and “Pahlavi will return” have reverberated across Iran.

Amid the slogans, images of Iranian women lighting cigarettes from burning photographs of the Supreme Leader have gone viral and grabbed the attention of social media. Such a type of dissent, however, is not new and was seen during the massive protests in 2022 that erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini was arrested by Iran’s “morality police” over her “inappropriate” dress.

In fact, last year, an Iranian, Omid Sarlak, posted a video on social media showing him setting fire to a photo of Khamenei. However, hours after the video emerged, his body was found inside his car. Tehran’s main prosecutor has indicated that those involved in such acts and protesters burning government buildings would face the death penalty. It has, however, fallen on deaf ears as the protests raged on Saturday, with a doctor in Tehran putting the death toll at 200.