Iranian women light cigarettes with burning photo of supreme leader

Iranian women have been lighting cigarettes with burning images of the country’s supreme leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – in a bold act of defiance.

Videos and photos of the protest have been shared and reposted thousands of times on various social media platforms.

Burning photos of the supreme leader is a serious offence under Iranian law, while women smoking has long been restricted or discouraged across the country.

By combining the two acts and defying mandatory hijab laws, protesters are rejecting both state authority and strict social controls.

Observers say this type of protest is harder for authorities to clamp down on as it doesn’t depend on large crowds that can be dispersed.

The trend comes as Iran faces deepening economic hardship, sparking fresh protests across the country and a growing crisis of confidence in the country’s leadership.

The unrest hasn’t reached the scale of protests three years ago, but authorities have reportedly killed dozens in response.