A viral video showing an Iranian refugee lighting a cigarette with a burning image of Iran’s supreme leader has become a global flashpoint as protests rock the Islamic Republic and President Donald Trump weighs military action against the regime.
The Associated Press reported that the 34-second video shows a woman believed to be living in Canada lighting a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — a capital crime in Iran — before calmly lighting a cigarette and dropping the image to the ground.
The images accompanying this story show protesters recreating the act during demonstrations outside Iran, not the woman from the original viral video.
The images have spread quickly on social media as the Iranian government carries out a violent crackdown on dissent that activists say has left thousands dead.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM INVITES Iranian FOREIGN MINISTER TO DAVOS AFTER REGIME SLAUGHTER OF IRANIAN CITIZENS
A protester burns an image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a cigarette during a rally in support of nationwide anti-government demonstrations in Iran, Tuesday, January 13, 2026 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
The video has been shared millions of times on platforms including X, Instagram and Reddit, with many viewers seeing it as a grim act of defiance against Iran’s spiritual rulers.
Others have questioned whether the moment was spontaneous or staged, highlighting the growing skepticism surrounding viral images in an age of artificial intelligence and information warfare.
What is undisputed is the symbolism of the action. In Iran, burning an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is punishable by death.
Smoking in public is considered indecent and women are legally required to wear hijabs. In the short fragment, the woman defies all three norms at once and appears without a headscarf, while her hair hangs close to the flame.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS IN CASE OF NATIONAL PROTEST CRACKDOWN THAT KILLS THOUSANDS
A protester smokes a cigarette after lighting it on a burning poster of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration in Berlin, Germany, in support of Iran’s nationwide mass protests against the government, on January 14, 2026. The image does not show the woman featured in the original viral video, which was shot in Canada. (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)
The gesture has jumped from the digital world to the real one. Photos and videos have emerged from protests in Europe, Israel and the US, showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes with images of Khamenei, recreating what has become known online as the “cigarette girl” moment.
Iran’s state media has announced wave after wave of arrests targeting those they call “terrorists” and seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment – ​​often the only way for videos to escape the country during government-imposed internet blackouts.
Activists say the regime has intensified repression in recent weeks as unrest spreads amid economic collapse and political instability.
BANNED Iranian CROWN PRINCE UNVEILS 6-STEP PLAN TO APPLY PRESSURE ON TEHRAN REGIME
Protesters burn a poster depicting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel, on January 14, 2026. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo)
The AP reported that the woman has described herself in interviews with other media as an Iranian refugee living in Toronto, and that she fled Iran after repeated arrests and beatings by security forces.
She filmed the video on January 7, according to The AP – a day before Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout. She did this to show solidarity with “friends” in the country, she said. She has asked that her real name not be published, fearing for her safety and for family members remaining in Iran.
The videos The explosive reach underlines how social media has become a central battlefield in modern conflict, with images shaping global perceptions faster than governments can control them.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
As Trump weighs next steps toward Tehran, the clip has become more than a viral moment: It has become a symbol of resistance, control and the high stakes of dissent under authoritarian rule.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
