Viral protest video against Iran’s supreme leader sparks copycat demonstrations worldwide

A viral video showing an Iranian exile lighting a cigaret utilizing a burning representation of Iran’s ultimate person has go a planetary flashpoint arsenic protests stone the Islamic Republic and President Donald Trump weighs subject enactment against the regime.

The Associated Press reported the 34-second video shows a pistillate believed to beryllium surviving successful Canada igniting a photograph of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – a superior transgression successful Iran – earlier calmly lighting a cigaret and letting the representation autumn to the ground.

The images accompanying this communicative amusement protesters recreating the enactment astatine demonstrations extracurricular Iran, not the pistillate featured successful the archetypal viral video.

The footage has dispersed rapidly crossed societal media arsenic Iran’s authorities carries retired a convulsive crackdown connected dissent that activists accidental has killed thousands.

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A protester burns an representation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a cigaret during a rally successful enactment of the nationwide anti-government demonstrations successful Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 successful Zurich, Switzerland. (Michael Buholzer /Keystone via AP)

The video has been shared millions of times crossed platforms specified arsenic X, Instagram and Reddit, with galore viewers seeing it arsenic a stark enactment of defiance against Iran’s clerical rulers.

Others person questioned whether the infinitesimal was spontaneous oregon staged, highlighting the increasing skepticism that surrounds viral images successful an property of artificial quality and accusation warfare.

What is undisputed is the symbolism of the act. In Iran, burning an representation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tin beryllium punishable by death.

Smoking successful nationalist is considered immodest, and women are legally required to deterioration hijabs. In the little clip, the pistillate defies each 3 norms astatine once, appearing without a headscarf arsenic her hairsbreadth hangs adjacent to the flame.

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A protester smokes a cigaret aft lighting it disconnected a burning poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a objection successful Berlin, Germany, successful enactment of the nationwide wide protests successful Iran against the government, connected Jan. 14, 2026. The representation does not amusement the pistillate featured successful the archetypal viral video, which was filmed successful Canada. (Ebrahim Noroozi/ AP Photo)

The motion has leapt from the integer satellite into the existent one. Photos and videos person surfaced from protests successful Europe, Israel and the U.S. showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes utilizing images of Khamenei, mimicking what has go known online arsenic the "cigarette girl" moment.

Iranian authorities media has announced question aft question of arrests, targeting those it labels "terrorists" and seizing Starlink outer net instrumentality – often the lone mode videos tin flight the state during government-imposed net blackouts.

Activists accidental the authorities has intensified repression successful caller weeks arsenic unrest spreads amid economical illness and governmental instability.

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Demonstrators pain a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally successful enactment of anti-government protests successful Iran, successful Holon, Israel, connected Jan. 14, 2026.  (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo)

The AP reported the pistillate has described herself successful interviews with different outlets arsenic an Iranian exile surviving successful Toronto, and said she fled Iran aft repeated arrests and maltreatment by information forces.

She filmed the video connected Jan. 7, according to The AP – 1 time earlier Iran imposed a near-total net blackout. She did truthful to amusement solidarity with "friends" wrong the country, she said. She has asked that her existent sanction not beryllium published, citing fears for her information and for household members who stay successful Iran.

The video’s explosive scope underscores however societal media has go a cardinal battleground successful modern conflicts, with images shaping planetary cognition faster than governments tin power them.

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As Trump weighs adjacent steps toward Tehran, the clip has go much than a viral infinitesimal – it has go a awesome of resistance, scrutiny and the precocious stakes of dissent nether authoritarian rule.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.