A captivating video featuring an Iranian refugee setting aflame an image of Iran’s supreme leader to light her cigarette has captured global attention. This act has become emblematic of the widespread protests currently engulfing the Islamic Republic, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s deliberation over potential military responses to the regime.

According to the Associated Press, the 34-second clip showcases a woman, believed to be residing in Canada, defiantly burning a picture of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—a deed considered a capital offense in Iran. With a nonchalant demeanor, she uses the burning image to light her cigarette before allowing it to drift to the ground.

Although the images related to this story depict protesters replicating the act at demonstrations outside Iran, they do not feature the woman from the original viral footage. This video has rapidly gained traction on social media platforms amidst Iran’s harsh crackdown on dissent, which activists claim has resulted in thousands of deaths.

In Zurich, Switzerland, a protester was seen setting fire to an image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a cigarette during a rally supporting the widespread anti-government demonstrations in Iran on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

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

The video has been shared millions of times across platforms such as X, Instagram and Reddit, with many viewers seeing it as a stark act of defiance against Iran’s clerical rulers.

Others have questioned whether the moment was spontaneous or staged, highlighting the growing skepticism that surrounds viral images in an age of artificial intelligence and information warfare.

What is undisputed is the symbolism of the act. In Iran, burning an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can be punishable by death.

Smoking in public is considered immodest, and women are legally required to wear hijabs. In the brief clip, the woman defies all three norms at once, appearing without a headscarf as her hair hangs close to the flame.

A protester smokes a cigarette after lighting it off a burning poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration in Berlin, Germany, in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, on Jan. 14, 2026. The image does not show the woman featured in the original viral video, which was filmed in Canada. (Ebrahim Noroozi/ AP Photo)

The gesture has leapt from the digital world into the real one. Photos and videos have surfaced from protests in Europe, Israel and the U.S. showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes using images of Khamenei, mimicking what has become known online as the “cigarette girl” moment.

Iranian state media has announced wave after wave of arrests, targeting those it labels “terrorists” and seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment – often the only way videos can 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.

Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2026.  (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo)

The AP reported the woman has described herself in interviews with other outlets as an Iranian refugee living in Toronto, and said she fled Iran after repeated arrests and abuse by security forces.

She filmed the video on Jan. 7, according to The AP – one day before Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout. She did so to show solidarity with “friends” inside the country, she said. She has asked that her real name not be published, citing fears for her safety and for family members who remain in Iran.

The video’s explosive reach underscores how social media has become a central battleground in modern conflicts, with images shaping global perception faster than governments can control them.

As Trump weighs next steps toward Tehran, the clip has become more than a viral moment – it has become a symbol of resistance, scrutiny and the high stakes of dissent under authoritarian rule.