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Viral images from Iran are sending shockwaves across the world as women openly defy the Islamic Republic by lighting cigarettes with burned photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and throwing headscarves into bonfires. What began as protests over soaring food prices has erupted into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s clerical system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to reports, at least 217 protesters have been killed, many by live ammunition, as authorities respond with brutal force. The government has shut down internet access and cut phone lines in an attempt to silence dissent, while residents continue to bang pots, honk car horns, and chant slogans in solidarity.

As Khamenei labels demonstrators “vandals,” international leaders condemn the violence and urge restraint. These powerful images of women’s resistance have become a symbol of a wider uprising demanding freedom, accountability, and change in Iran.


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Transcript
00:00What do women in Iran, lighting cigarettes with photos of Supreme Leader Khamenei and
00:27massive street protests have in common?
00:30The answer might redefine how we see dissent in Iran today.
00:36In the streets of Tehran and cities across Iran, protests that began in late December
00:41have grown into one of the biggest challenges to the clerical system, which has held power
00:46since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
00:51And now, powerful images are going viral online, showing Iranian women lighting cigarettes
00:57using burned photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and even discarding
01:03their headscarves into flames.
01:07These acts are not just symbolic, they're deliberate and dangerous.
01:11Under Iranian law, burning the Supreme Leader's photo is a serious crime.
01:16And for women to smoke openly, defying strict dress codes and social norms, adds a second
01:22layer of rebellion.
01:24By combining these two acts, protesters are challenging not only state authority, but
01:29also decades of strict social restrictions, pushing back against rules that govern even
01:35the smallest personal freedoms.
01:38The protests began over soaring food prices and record high inflation, but have now evolved
01:43into a broader anti-government movement, and a clear signal that many Iranians are no longer
01:49willing to stay silent.
01:52The response from authorities has been harsh.
01:55Reports suggest at least 217 protesters have died, mostly from live ammunition, according to
02:01hospitals in Tehran.
02:03And the government has cut internet access and telephone lines, effectively isolating the
02:07country to suppress the protests.
02:11Despite this, defiance continues.
02:13In northern Tehran, residents bang pots and shout slogans mocking the supreme leader, while
02:19passing cars honk in solidarity with the demonstrators.
02:23In his first public remarks on the unrest, Khamenei called the protesters vandals and saboteurs,
02:29while U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran's leadership could be in big trouble,
02:35and hinted at potential military action.
02:38Meanwhile, international leaders from France, Germany and the U.K. have condemned the killings
02:43and urged restraint, highlighting the growing global concern over Iran's escalating crisis.
02:50These iconic images—women burning Khamenei's photos, discarding their hijabs, lighting cigarettes—have
02:57become more than just a viral sensation.
02:59They are a visual representation of a larger movement—a movement demanding freedom, accountability,
03:06and change in a country where dissent has long been dangerous.
03:11And as Iran continues to wrestle with this unprecedented wave of protest, the world is watching.
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