X replaces Islamic Republic flag emoji with Shah-era Iran flag amid mass protests

The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has replaced the Iranian flag emoji on its site from the current Islamic Republic flag to the old Shah-era lion and sun flag, as the wave of intense protests in Iran continues.

The change was sparked by an X user reaching out to one of the social media platform’s executives, Nikita Bier, and asking that they change the flag icon. Bier quickly responded: “Give me a few hours.”

A few hours later, the Shah-era flag was all over the site, and since it retroactively replaced all previous uses of the flag emoji in usernames, it led to a brief period where Iran’s official government accounts had the lion and sun flag next to their names instead of the current one.

BREAKING: Iran's Foreign Ministry Department spotted using the protestor's "Lion and Sun" flag emoji. pic.twitter.com/YOBAro2HYb

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) January 9, 2026

After the change went viral, Iran’s official accounts removed the flag emoji from their pages and replaced it with their crescent and sword national emblem, which is depicted in the center of the Islamic Republic’s flag.

The change comes as the last Shah of Iran’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has emerged as a central figure of the current wave of protests against the Islamic Republic, spurring general strikes and mass demonstrations from exile.