TEHRAN: Massive protests continue to sweep across Iran, with women symbolically lighting cigarettes using burnt photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These striking images have gone viral on social media, accompanied by reports of escalating violence, restrictions such as internet shutdowns, and rising death tolls among protesters challenging the clerical regime established since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests ignited in late December, marked by widespread dissent against the government’s handling of economic issues, including soaring food prices and extreme inflation. However, since the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, the demonstrations have evolved, with Iranians increasingly vocal against the regime and calling for greater liberties.

A Tehran-based doctor reported that at least 217 protester deaths have been recorded in just six hospitals as a result of state-sanctioned violence. Viral videos, which have not been independently verified, show women publicly defying laws by lighting cigarettes from flames of Khamenei's images, alongside acts of burning their headscarves—demonstrating a dual rejection of the state’s authority and social constraints.

Khamenei labeled protestors as "vandals" and "saboteurs" in his first comments addressing the unrest. The regime's crackdown included a "nationwide internet shutdown," aimed at obscuring the true extent of its violence, as highlighted by groups like Amnesty International. Meanwhile, international leaders, including those from France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, condemned the brutal repression of demonstrators and called for the authorities to show restraint. As tensions continue to mount, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern over Iran’s stability, suggesting that the unrest could lead to significant changes within the country.