Iranian women are prominently featured in ongoing protests, using acts of defiance like lighting cigarettes with burning photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This symbolic gesture challenges both political authority and strict social restrictions on women. The protests, initially sparked by economic hardship including inflation and currency devaluation, have evolved into a broader challenge to the clerical establishment. Authorities have responded with internet blackouts and crackdowns, leading to reported casualties and international condemnation.