X replaces Iran’s flag emoji with the pre-Islamic Revolution version, sparking global debate over identity and political symbolism.
The emoji that previously mirrored Iran’s official flag featuring the red emblem adopted after the 1979 Islamic Revolution has been substituted with an ancient symbol historically associated with Iran, which was abandoned following the revolution. After this modification, the renewed emoji began appearing in posts shared by various Iranian government institutions and accounts linked to state media such as Tasnim News.
This adjustment affects users accessing the X platform through web browsers, while mobile applications and other digital platforms still display the official Iranian flag emoji. The modification also applies to all Iranian flag emojis visible on the web, independent of when they were originally posted. Nevertheless, after a short time, the same flag was observed once again representing the current Iranian regime.
On the same day, Elon Musk, the owner of X, and his company SpaceX activated Starlink satellite internet service across Iran during a nationwide internet blackout. The duration of the free service has not been publicly specified.
Protests in Iran have been continuing since late December, triggered by the severe devaluation of the Iranian rial and deteriorating economic circumstances. The demonstrations, which initially erupted around Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, quickly expanded across numerous cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump remarked that Iran was “facing serious issues” amid the intensifying protests, emphasizing that developments were being carefully observed and warning the security forces against using lethal violence. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities accused the U.S. and Israel of instigating the unrest, indicating that they would show “no leniency toward saboteurs.”
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