Old video of Iran Supreme Leader billboard on fire falsely presented as new

What's the claim?

A video of a billboard being set on fire which had been showing Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been shared on social media, amid claims it shows an "increased confidence" among Iran's people following Donald Trump's election as the next President of the United States.

A user on X shared the video (archived here) with the caption, "A billboard of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was set on fire by crowds. Iranian people are becoming bolder after Trump's victory." The post was viewed more than 68,000 times, garnered more than 800 reposts, and picked up 4,000 likes at the time of writing this story. Archived versions of such posts can be found here and here.

The video has also been shared on Facebook with similar claims. Archived versions of these posts can be found here and here. 

Screenshots of claims made online. (Source: X/Screenshots/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the video is actually from 2022.

What we found

Using a reverse image search, Logically Facts identified the same clip in a slightly longer video shared by The Telegraph (archived here) on their official Facebook page on September 23, 2022. The video was captioned: "A police officer was set on fire after a vehicle was set alight by protesters as unrest in Iran over the death of a woman arrested for improperly wearing a hijab continued."

The now-viral clip appears at the 32-second mark in The Telegraph's video. According to the report, the incident occurred in Tehran, Iran, where people set fire to a billboard featuring Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This act was part of widespread protests that erupted across the country following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Many other media outlets also published the video in September 2022. Examples can be viewed here and here.

Were there protests in Iran recently?

In October 2024, a group in Tehran organized protests, during which demonstrators chanted against President Masoud Pezeshkian and demanded the withdrawal of internet restrictions. 

Additionally, on November 20, 2024, several retired teachers in Iran held a protest over payment and pension adjustments in front of the Iranian regime's parliament and the Plan and Budget Organization. However, no incidents of arson were reported during these protests.

In September 2024, Iranians worldwide gathered in solidarity to mark two years since the death of Mahsa Amini. 

In early November 2024, Ahoo Daryaei, an Iranian student, gained international attention for her apparent protest against Iran's mandatory hijab law at a university in Tehran when she stripped down to her undergarments. She was detained but later released and will not face charges, as reported by BBC. 

Additionally, there is no credible evidence to support claims the U.S. presidential election sparked unrest in Iran. Logically Facts found no reports from mainstream media suggesting that protests occurred in Iran following Donald Trump's re-election.

The verdict

A video from the widespread protests held in September 2022 in Iran, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, has been misrepresented as recent protests in Iran following Donald Trump's victory.