Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) has replaced Iran’s official flag emoji with the pre-revolution Lion-and-Sun emblem, users noticed on Friday, amid the ongoing anti-government protests in the country.
The update replaces the red emblem introduced after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution with the Lion-and-Sun symbol that appeared on Iranian flags for centuries under the monarchy. Not many know that the now-replaced symbol, made up of four crescents and a central vertical line, is a stylised calligraphic rendering of the Arabic word “Allah”, which means God.
Apart from the symbol, the national flag of the Islamic Republic also features white writing on the inner edges of the green and red bands, which reads "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great). The change reportedly applies across the platform, meaning even Iranian officials and state-linked handles will be using the emoji of the old flag.
Iran's old national flag
The Lion and Sun symbol was part of the Iranian national flag from the nineteenth century until the Islamic Revolution toppled the existing political and social order in Tehran.
The sun is an ancient Persian symbol that predates Islam, sometimes even linked to Zoroastrianism. It has many interpretations, including a female face representing "Mother Iran", a zodiac sign, and even divine glory bestowed upon the ruler.
The lion, meanwhile, was the symbol of power for the Persian kings. They used the wild animal to represent sovereignty and courage. However, reports claim that the lion later became associated with Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam, who is often titled "The Lion of God" (Asadullah). This is why, in later versions of the flag, the lion holds a curved sword (the Zulfiqar), representing Ali's legendary blade, which was the tool meant to protect the faith.
The sword was also interpreted as the "Sword of Justice" that the kingdom stood for, ensuring that the law and the ruler's authority were upheld. Under the Qajar Dynasty, this emblem reportedly became the official state coat of arms, and the lion was depicted standing while holding the sword.
