Iran Protests Take New Turn as Women Burn Khamenei Images

Iran’s ongoing protests have taken on a striking new form in recent days, with women publicly burning images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and using the flames to light cigarettes.

The act, widely shared on social media, has emerged as a powerful symbol of public anger over the country’s deepening economic crisis, soaring inflation, a collapsing currency, and sustained state repression.

The demonstrations, which began in late December 2025, have evolved into the most serious challenge to Khamenei’s rule in decades. Protesters have taken to the streets across multiple cities, chanting anti-regime slogans, vandalising government property and continuing their resistance despite sweeping internet and telecommunications blackouts imposed by authorities.

The gesture of lighting cigarettes from burning portraits is especially provocative in Iran, where desecrating the Supreme Leader’s image is considered a grave offence. For women, the act carries additional weight, as smoking in public is itself restricted under Iran’s social and religious codes. Together, these acts represent a deliberate and highly visible rejection of state authority.

Observers say the protests reflect a continuation of the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. That uprising saw women burning hijabs and cutting their hair in defiance of compulsory dress laws. The current symbolism, however, is widely seen as an even more direct challenge to the foundations of Iran’s religious establishment.

Protesters Branded as Foreign Agents

Ayatollah Khamenei has dismissed the demonstrators as agents of foreign powers, while U.S. President Donald Trump has issued stern warnings against the use of lethal force on protesters. According to rights groups and local reports, hundreds have been killed in clashes with security forces, and thousands more have been detained since the unrest began.

These symbolic acts by women have come to represent a broader rebellion against restrictions on personal freedoms, compulsory hijab laws, and the clerical system itself. Amplified through social media, the images have drawn global attention and underscored the growing sense of unrest gripping Iran as economic hardship and social repression continue to intensify.