In a striking act of defiance that’s capturing global attention, Iranian women are setting their cigarettes alight using burning portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
Iranian women are sparking a bold new wave of protest by lighting cigarettes with burning images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. This act is defying both strict social taboos and harsh laws.
As Iran is currently engulfed in its most significant nationwide uprising since the 1979 Revolution, viral videos of women’s daring acts are inspiring outrage and admiration worldwide. These women, who risk everything, are challenging Iran’s hardline regime.
Videos and photos of Iranian women lighting cigarettes from burning portraits of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the country’s highest religious and political authority, have been receiving worldwide praise. In many of these images, the women are also seen without hijabs, disregarding Iran’s compulsory headscarf law.
While some of the footage is believed to be filmed inside Iran, one especially popular clip was recorded by an Iranian woman now living in Toronto, Canada. This bold trend has emerged amid a fresh wave of anti-government protests sweeping the country, with dramatic scenes of fires and unrest in cities nationwide.
The person behind the now iconic clip which has been likened to the final scene in Malèna, starring Monica Bellucci, has been identified as a 25-year-old who goes by “Morticia Addams” on X (formerly known as Twitter). She has shared that she was previously detained during Iran’s November 2019 demonstrations.
In a heartfelt post, she expressed regret at being unable to join the current protests, writing: “Every time I was on the street. This time I couldn’t be.
“Forgive me, Mother Iran.” Morticia Addams’ gesture quickly gained global attention after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling posted a poster featuring the woman lighting her cigarette from her burning portrait of Khamenei.
European news outlet Nexta TV also weighed in, stating: “This isn’t shock value. It’s a blunt political gesture – open contempt for a regime that has spent decades controlling women’s bodies, clothing, behavior, and lives.”
Over the weekend, some Iranians abroad also staged symbolic recreations during demonstrations in several countries, Iran Intl reported. Despite recent internet shutdowns in Iran, the response from Iranians living overseas has been powerful.
Among the many reactions, a user going by “Iran-Dokht” quipped, “I don’t smoke, but I really felt like lighting a cigarette, right now.” The significance of this specific act lies in its deliberate rejection of multiple state-enforced taboos.
Moreover, damaging or burning the image of the Supreme Leader is a serious criminal offense in Iran, sometimes punishable by death. Additionally, in Iranian society, women smoking in public is strictly prohibited and heavily stigmatised.
Many women in these viral videos also appeared without the mandatory headscarf, further signaling their rejection of state authority. These symbolic acts of resistance are part of a broader “2025–2026 revolution” driven by a deepening economic crisis, including skyrocketing food prices and a plummeting national currency.
As a result, this trend has been viewed as a more radical evolution of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement that began in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian authorities have reportedly responded with a violent crackdown, including a nationwide internet blackout and the reported deaths of over 200 protesters.
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