An Australian-Syrian activist named Maram Susli, who goes by Syrian Girl online, has posted Tehran market selfies amid Iran protests that have gripped the country since late December. The images, shared on X last Friday, show her strolling through the Grand Bazaar without a headscarf, smiling at the camera while holding shopping bags. She claimed everything was calm and called reports of unrest “lies” spread by Western media. But as protests rage on in over 100 cities, her posts have split opinions, with some calling them real glimpses of normal life and others dismissing them as staged or even AI-generated propaganda.
Susli, based in Sydney, has a big following on social media, often sharing views that back Iran’s government and criticise Israel or the U.S. In her recent thread, she wrote about visiting Tehran to “push for Iran to acquire the nuclear bomb” and shared clips from a synagogue, talking to locals who said Jews feel safe there.
One photo has her posing casually in the bustling bazaar, surrounded by vendors and shoppers. “Tehran is peaceful; don’t believe the hype,” she captioned it. This came right as the government imposed a near-total internet blackout on January 8, trying to curb videos of clashes from getting out.
The protests kicked off around December 25, 2025, mainly over skyrocketing inflation and the rial’s freefall. Merchants in places like Tehran and Mashhad shut down shops in strikes, angry at taxes and power cuts. Things escalated quickly. By early January, crowds in cities from Tabriz in the north to Bandar Abbas on the coast were chanting against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Reports say at least 44 people have died in crackdowns, with security forces using tear gas, batons, and sometimes live fire. Human rights groups counted over 1,200 arrests. In Tehran alone, protesters torched government offices and banks, while in smaller towns like Abdanan, huge marches filled the streets.
Khamenei spoke out last week, saying the regime won’t back down. “We stand firm against chaos,” he told crowds before Friday prayers on January 2. Streets stayed tense that day, with extra police in mosques and squares.
But videos snuck out show folks destroying surveillance cameras or waving the old lion-and-sun flag, a symbol from before the 1979 revolution. Opposition figures abroad, like exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, called for more demos, which seemed to fire up the crowds even with the net down.
Susli’s timing raised eyebrows. Critics on X pointed out she might not even be in Iran. One post from an account tracking regime influencers claimed her bazaar shots are AI-made since she’s “unable to travel there now”.
They tied her to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ propaganda arm, saying she’s helping downplay the unrest. Supporters fired back, sharing her videos as proof the protests are overhyped or foreign-backed. One fan commented, “See? Life goes on in Tehran.” But others called it tone-deaf, ignoring families mourning the dead or folks struggling without basics.
This isn’t Susli’s first brush with controversy. She’s spoken at events backing Syria’s Assad and slammed Australian leaders over their stance on Gaza. Last month, she posted about a trip to Iran, interviewing a rabbi who denied Tehran’s role in attacks abroad. Her followers, over 200,000 on X, lap it up, but rights watchers say such content distracts from real issues like women’s rights or economic woes.
Iran’s economy is in tatters. The rial hit record lows against the dollar, making imports unaffordable. Inflation tops 40 per cent, per official stats, though folks on the ground say it’s worse.
Strikes hit the oil sector too, with workers in Ahvaz walking out over unpaid wages. The government blames sanctions, but protesters point to corruption and spending on militias abroad.
As day 15 of protests nears, Tehran buzzes with rumours. Some bazaar merchants reopened but whisper about joining strikes again. In Mashhad, students clashed with Basij militias at universities. A viral clip shows a kid begging her dad to leave as shots ring out. Opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, from exile, urged unity against arrests.
Susli hasn’t responded to the AI claims, but her posts keep coming. They highlight how info wars play out online during crises. With the blackout, it’s hard to verify anything from inside. Groups like Amnesty call for probes into deaths, while the UN watches closely.
In Sydney, where Susli lives, Iranian expats held solidarity rallies last weekend. They waved signs saying “Woman, Life, Freedom,” echoing 2022’s uprising after Mahsa Amini’s death. Back then, protests fizzled under repression. This time, with economic pain biting harder, they might last longer.
Iran’s leaders vow stability, but the streets tell another story. Fires at regime buildings in Hamedan, chants in Zanjan – it’s widespread. Susli’s selfies might aim to show calm, but videos of tear gas in the bazaar say otherwise. As Friday prayers loom again, tension builds. Will more join, or will the crackdown win? For now, the world watches snippets that slip through.