New Face of Iran Unrest: The Meaning Behind Women Lighting Cigarettes with Khamenei’s Burning Photos

Massive protests continue to engulf Iran, with visuals of women lighting cigarettes using burnt photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei going viral on social media. The unrest has turned violent, with the death toll rising, while authorities have cut internet access and telephone lines to isolate the country from the outside world.

The demonstrations, which began in late December, have evolved into one of the most significant challenges to Iran’s clerical system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A doctor in Tehran told TIME that just six hospitals in the capital alone have recorded at least 217 protester deaths, most caused by live ammunition.

Why women are burning Khamenei’s photos

Videos circulating online—unverified by HT.com—show women burning the supreme leader’s images to light cigarettes. Other visuals reportedly show women burning headscarves in large bonfires.

These acts carry symbolic weight. Burning the supreme leader’s photo is a serious crime under Iranian law, and smoking by women has long been discouraged or restricted in parts of the country. By openly defying these rules, along with compulsory hijab laws, protesters are challenging both state authority and rigid social norms.

This form of protest echoes the dissent that erupted after Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in 2022, following her arrest for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code for women.

Protests expand, internet and communications cut

Initially sparked by soaring food prices and record inflation, the protests have since turned overtly anti-government. Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported a nationwide internet shutdown, calling the move a violation of Iranians’ rights and a cover-up of regime violence. Amnesty International said the blackout was intended to “hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law” being carried out to suppress the protests.

In northern Tehran’s Sa’adat Abad area, residents were seen banging pots and shouting slogans mocking Khamenei, while passing cars honked in support, according to AFP-verified footage.

In his first remarks on the unrest, Khamenei described the protesters as “vandals” and “saboteurs.” Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran’s leadership appeared to be “in big trouble” and repeated his warning that military action was a possibility. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” he said.

Khamenei, in response, warned that the “arrogant” US leader would be “overthrown,” drawing a parallel with Iran’s pre-1979 imperial dynasty.

Leaders from France, the United Kingdom, and Germany issued a joint statement condemning the “killing of protesters” and urged Iranian authorities to exercise restraint.