Social media platform X has replaced Iran’s flag emoji with the flag of the pre-revolution Lion and Sun symbol, amid nationwide protests in the country.
Multiple media reports stated the change appeared to apply platform-wide, meaning that 1even accounts linked to Iranian officials and state-affiliated outlets, including Tasnim News, now display the pre-revolutionary symbol.
Iran’s pre-1979 national flag, which was in official use before the overthrow of pro-Western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, features horizontal green, white, and red stripes with a sword-wielding lion set before a rising sun at its centre.
The flag previously displayed on X was adopted by the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution.
First flown in 1980, it retains the same tricolor design but replaces the lion-and-sun motif with a red emblem representing the Islamic Republic.
Did X confirm the update of Iran's flag emoji?
X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, indicated Thursday night that he was working on the update after a user requested the change. Confirming the move, he said the update "should be live sometime tomorrow on web".
According to users on X, the new emoji appeared to be live by Friday evening, including on the account of Iran’s foreign ministry.
The change was implemented across X’s emoji library, having appeared on the web version- but The New Arab has noted that the shift has yet been reflected in mobile devices as of Saturday morning.
"Make Iran great again"
Reactions to the latest developments have varied.
Pro-monarchy advocates have taken to social media to celebrate the change, while supporters of the Islamic Republic have denounced it as illegitimate interference.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has since removed the emoji from his display name on the Elon Musk-owned platform.
Iranian musician Shahin Najafi shared his support for the change, writing on X: "We will make Iran great again. Thanks to @elonmusk and the X team."
However, British content creator Lateef Saka, while yet disclosing his personal view on the new emoji, shared his criticism of the divisive move.
"Push aside how you feel about either, does it seem normal that an “independent” app is doing this?" he wrote in an X post.
What the replacement of the Iranian flag emoji on X signifies
The emoji update comes amid ongoing protests against Iran’s current government, sparked by anger over the rising cost of living. Iran, which is under heavy Western sanctions, recently experienced a currency collapse that appeared to trigger the crisis.
The Lion and Sun emblem has been adopted by some protesters and opposition figures, while US-based Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, has emerged as a prominent voice abroad encouraging the demonstrations.
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of fomenting what they describe as "riots", including claims made by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi- who dismissed the likelihood of direct foreign military intervention following US warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.
Authorities have also continued to impose internet blackouts.
Rights groups say dozens of protesters have been killed, while internet monitor NetBlocks has warned that the nationwide shutdown violates Iranians’ rights and serves to "mask regime violence".
The protests are the largest in Iran since the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement of 2022–2023, which was sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s dress code for women.