Iranian woman lighting a cigarette with a photo of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei [Instagram Capture]

It has been analyzed that young Iranian women, who were at the forefront of the 2022 hijab protests in Iran, are now expressing their will to resist through more radical methods in recent anti-government demonstrations.

According to reports from European specialized media such as Euronews on the 12th, as anti-government protests have spread across Iran, videos of Iranian women lighting cigarettes using photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei have surfaced on various social media platforms (SNS).

Although the Iranian government has strictly blocked internet access since the protests began, these videos uploaded to SNS are rapidly spreading worldwide through reposts and other means.

In Iran, defacing Khamenei's photos and women smoking are both strictly prohibited.

Furthermore, the women in the videos were not wearing hijabs, which the Iranian regime mandates for women, and they were seen dropping the burned photo of Khamenei on the ground and then giving it the middle finger.

Euronews interpreted these videos as "a rejection of both political and religious authority and the strict social norms imposed on women."

Iranian women had already emerged as a symbol of resistance in Iran during the 2022 hijab protests, which were sparked by the suspicious death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

At the time, Iranian women strongly confronted the regime, calling for women's rights, but they were unable to achieve their goals due to brutal suppression.

However, even after the hijab protests, Iranian women have persistently voiced their opposition to the regime in their own ways. This includes walking in public places without hijabs, participating in sporting events, and staging nude protests.

Euronews commented, "Iranian women, who had already garnered global attention by cutting their hair and burning hijabs during the hijab protests, have taken a step further."

The media outlet noted that in recent protests, Iranian women have participated with blood smeared on their lips and have fearlessly performed gymnastics in front of security forces, suggesting that they may lead more provocative and creative demonstrations.

[Video] Iranian woman lights cigarette with 'dictator's' photo after removing hijab... "Symbol of Resistance"