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Lion and Sun flag

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Iran
Lion and Sun flag[a]
UseCivil and state flag, civil and state ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion4∶7[1]
Adopted7 October 1907; 119 years ago (1907-10-07)
Relinquished1979 (de facto)[2]
29 July 1980 (de jure)
Alternate contemporary design
One of several historical designs in use during the Pahlavi dynasty

The Lion and Sun flag[a] is a historic Iranian national and opposition flag consisting of a green–white–red horizontal tricolour charged with the Lion and Sun emblem. It served as the state flag of Iran from 1907 until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, after which it was strictly banned.[3] Since then, the flag has had no official status but continues to be used as a historical and political symbol, particularly among diaspora Iranians and opposition movements.[4][5]

Flag description

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Lion and Sun emblem

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The emblem consists of a male lion in front of a rising sun, coloured in gold and centred on the white band. Its appearance has varied over time: in some versions, the lion holds a sword, while in others it stands unarmed, with all four paws on the ground. The sun is nowadays depicted as a simple disc with rays, though earlier designs often included a face. Some versions include a thin horizontal base beneath the lion. A crown was sometimes displayed above the emblem on the national flag, while the war flag and naval ensign additionally featured a surrounding wreath.[6]

History

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Pre-Islamic origins

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Achaemenid seal depicting Artaxerxes II together with Anahita in a Lion and Sun motif

The Lion and Sun is an emblem that is intrinsically Iranian and can be traced back thousands of years, even predating the Achaemenid era.[7][8]

During the Achaemenid period, the Lion and Sun motif appeared in several forms.[8][9] One such example is a seal depicting Artaxerxes II accompanied by Anahita, with the latter riding a lion with a sun symbolising Mithra appearing behind her.[10]

Safavid and Qajar era

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The emblem continued to appear intermittently throughout the centuries until the emblem was adopted during the Safavid era to distinguish the country's national identity from neighbouring powers, such as the Ottoman Empire with the star and crescent.[11]

The Lion and Sun only became a national symbol during the Qajar era. One of the first appearances of the lion holding a sword on a flag was during the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813); the sword was added at the recommendation of Molla Ahmad Naraqi.[citation needed]

The first instance of the emblem appearing on a tricolour flag is thought to be on an early green–white–red design with thin green and red stripes, designed by Amir Kabir and used from 1848 to 1852 during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. The first equal-height stripe design is said to have appeared by the late 1880s. These accounts are poorly documented and may be entirely unfounded as they are far less certain than the flag officially adopted in 1907.[12]

Late Qajar and Pahlavi era

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Illustration of a historic meeting between Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Reza Shah in 1934, with the contemporary Iranian flag
Numerous Lion and Sun flags hoisted at Pasargadae during the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, 1971

The first official version of the Lion and Sun flag was adopted in the wake of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906[3] and codified in the Supplementary Fundamental Laws of 7 October 1907 as the state flag of the country. The new banner was described as a tricolour of "green, white, and red, with the emblem of the Lion and the Sun."[13] On 4 September 1910, a decree specified the exact details of the emblem, including the size and position of the lion, and the shape of its tail, sword, and sun.[14] During this period, the colours of the flag were very pale, with the red appearing closer to pink in practice.

Following Reza Shah's coup d'état and through the Pahlavi era, the flag underwent several gradual changes. In 1933, the colours of the flag were darkened, and the sun was stripped of its facial features. In 1964, the flag's proportions were altered from 1:3 to 4:7.[citation needed] In 1972, the government introduced a new flag using a standardised design for the Lion and Sun emblem,[15][failed verification] though it is not clear if it replaced all pre-existing designs, as the style of the emblem continued to vary depending on the manufacturer.

Post-Islamic revolution

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Following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979 at the onset of the Islamic Revolution, the interim government began phasing out the Lion and Sun in favour of the plain tricolour. However, after the Islamic takeover in 1980, the new government outlawed the use of the old flag entirely, justifying the restrictions by claiming that the banner was a symbol of the "oppressive Westernising monarchy," despite the emblem's traditional Shia usage.[16][17] In 1980, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini demanded the "ominous" Lion and Sun be removed from all government offices as an "artefact of the tyrannical regime".[18]




After the 1979 revolution

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Iranian diaspora's use of the Lion and Sun emblem on Iranian flags[23]

The Lion and Sun remained the official emblem of Iran until after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the Lion and Sun symbol was—by decree—removed from public spaces and government organizations and replaced by the present-day Emblem of the Islamic Republic.[23] For the Islamic revolution, the Lion and Sun symbol allegedly resembled the "oppressive Westernising monarchy" that had to be replaced, despite the fact the symbol had old Shi'a meanings and the lion was associated with Ali.[24] In the present day, the lion and the sun emblem is still used by a segment of the Iranian community in exile as the symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic.[25] Several exiled opposition groups, including the monarchists and MEK, use the Lion and Sun emblem. In Los Angeles and cities with large Iranian communities the Lion and Sun emblem is largely used on mugs, Iranian flags, and souvenirs to an extent that far surpasses its display during the years of monarchy in the homeland.[23] During the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022, a number of alternative variant versions of the Lion and Sun were proposed to distinguish the images of new Iran from its historical adaptation of Lion and Sun.

In recent years, some Islamic Republic officials claim the Lion and Sun as a symbol of Islam in an effort to undermine the ongoing 2025–2026 Iranian protests as the Lion itself represents Imam Ali.[26] However, the Lion and Sun motif has been in display during the Achaemenid Empire.[8][9] During the protests in Iran as well as the diaspora protests, the Lion and Sun flag was extensively displayed.[27]

Standardization of the Lion and Sun

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Illustrations from the 8 September 1910 Regulations of the Flags of the Sublime State of Iran, showing the state flag and the war flag as officially defined.

In a regulation dated 8 September 1910, the details of the Lion and Sun emblem—including the manner of drawing the lion’s tail (in the form of an italic S), and the position and size of the lion, sword, and sun—were specified.[28][29]

Specification of the Lion and Sun flag from the "Instructions for the Flags of the Sublime State of Iran", an official government manual defining the design, proportions, and graphical details of Iranian state flags.

At the end of the article “The Lion and Sun: The Official Emblem of the State of Iran” by Ebrahim Mokalla, various images of Lion and Sun motifs have been collected. According to the accompanying notes, one of these images appears to belong to the “Instructions for the Flags of the Sublime State” (Dastur al-‘Amal-e Beyraqhā-ye Dowlat-e ‘Aliyyeh), which was prepared to standardize the form of Iran’s flag at the time. The date of this regulation is unknown. According to these instructions, the arrangement of the three colours of the flag was the same as its present configuration; the Lion and Sun were drawn large enough to extend across all three green, white, and red bands; nothing was depicted beneath the lion’s feet; the lion was painted in three-quarter profile; and an oblique human face was drawn within the sun.[30]

In a regulation dated 7 January 1958, the characteristics of the Iranian flag were described as follows:[31] “The Lion and Sun motif, in golden yellow, is placed in the centre of the flag on the white section and is drawn in such a way that the lion’s head faces toward the flagpole, the sword is held vertically in the lion’s hand, and the lion’s feet are directed toward the red band. On one side of the flag, where the lion’s head faces to the viewer’s left, the sword is in the lion’s right hand, the lion’s gaze is inclined to the left, and the lion’s tail is shaped like an italic S with a curve upward. On the other side of the flag, the reverse applies; that is, the sword is in the lion’s left hand, the lion’s gaze is inclined to the right, and the lion’s tail is the mirror image of an italic S. The Lion and Sun on both sides of the flag must correspond exactly. Beneath the lion’s feet, extending from the line of the sword to the point where an imaginary perpendicular line descending from the tip of the lion’s tail would intersect, a straight line proportional to the dimensions of the image is drawn.”

Standardized Lion and Sun emblem of Iran according to the 1959 official flag regulation

In another regulation dated 14 February 1959, the Lion and Sun were placed upon a folded ribbon instead of a horizontal line. According to Yahya Zoka, in 1965 (1344 SH), a commission was formed at the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran to establish official standards for the Iranian flag. In this standard, the lion’s support was once again described as a line rather than a folded ribbon.[32]

Modernist stylized design of the 1970s

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Stylized Lion and Sun with Pahlavi Crown designed in 1970's

In the 1970s—the final period of constitutional monarchy in Iran—a modernist stylized design was used in official documents, postage stamps[33], birth certificate (civil registry)[34], the Prime Minister’s aircraft[35], the entrance of the Prime Minister’s palace[36], and the national flag of Iran [37][38][39]. During the 1970s, the lion's form was modified and redrawn in a neater style, in accordance with modern graphic design conventions.[40] The design was also retained during the early period of the Iranian Revolution, when the Lion and Sun continued to be used on state flags and as the state emblem.[41]

This design continued in use into the early period of the Islamic Republic. On 30 January 1980, with the introduction of the first emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lion and Sun were officially abandoned.[42] Visual evidence of this design is presented below.

Contemporary use

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Historically, since the Islamic Revolution, the Lion and Sun flag had been associated with monarchist movements, while some republican and reformist groups preferred the plain tricolour. Over time, the Lion and Sun banner has been adopted more broadly as a symbol of Iranian national identity and opposition to the Islamic Republic rather than exclusively symbolising the pre-1979 monarchy.[43]

Public opinion data suggests the banner's growing recognition and popularity within the country. In a February 2022 survey conducted by GAMAAN in Iran, prior to the outbreak of the Mahsa Amini protests, 46% of respondents chose the Lion and Sun flag as their preferred national flag, compared with 30% who chose the current official flag, and 19% who preferred the plain tricolour without symbols.[44]

Use in protests

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Protestor tears down the Islamic Republic flag at its embassy in London and holds up the Lion and Sun flag, 10 January 2026
Fans with the Lion and Sun flag prior to the Iran vs. Belgium 2026 FIFA World Cup match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The flag is regularly seen at international rallies across North America and Europe, where members of the Iranian diaspora wave it to show solidarity with protest movements in Iran.[45] It has been particularly prominent during demonstrations in major Western cities such as London, Berlin,[46] Paris, Munich, Toronto, and Los Angeles.[47] It has become a core emblem of the anti-regime protest movement.

2025–2026 protests

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Domestically, the Lion and Sun flag re-emerged during the 2025–2026 protests in Iran, with demonstrators publicly waving the flag[48][49] and, in some cases, tearing down and burning official Islamic Republic flags.[50]

In solidarity with the uprising in Iran, protesters tore down the Islamic flag at the Islamic Republic's embassy in London and replaced it with the Lion and Sun flag.[51] On 14 February 2026, a massive 50-metre (160 ft) version of the flag was raised in Munich during the "Global Day of Action" diaspora protests.[52] The Lion and Sun flag is used as a symbol of secularism and freedom, in defiance of theocratic rule.[53] On 19 May 2026, it was reported that FIFA would again ban the Iranian flag from 2026 FIFA World Cup stadiums, similar to previous World Cups, however several fans reportedly brought in Lion and Sun flags in defiance.[54][55] On 9 January 2026, Twitter changed the Twemoji library's icon for the Iran flag emoji from the Islamic Republic flag to a modern reconstruction of the Lion and Sun flag.[56]

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See also

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Other opposition flags

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 Persian: پرچم شیر و خورشید, romanised: Parcham-e Shir o Khorshid

References

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  1. ↑ "تصویبنامه راجع به پرچم ایران" Tasvibnāmeh rāje' be Parcham-e Irān [Regulation concerning the Flag of Iran]. Wikisource (Government regulation) (in Persian). Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 October 2026. ۴) نسبت ابعاد پرچم ایران با توجه بمکانی که نصب میشود باندازه‌های زیر خواهد بود و اصولا نسبت عرض بطول پرچم به نسبت یک به یک و هفتاد و پنج میباشد. [4) The dimensions of the Iranian flag, depending on where it is to be displayed, shall be as follows. In general, the ratio of the flag's width to its length is 1:1.75. (equal to 4:7)]
  2. ↑ Crampton, William G. (1989). The Complete Guide to Flags (1st ed.). New York City: Gallery Books. p. 76. ISBN 0-8317-1605-3. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Internet Archive. With the flight of the Shah in 1979, the Lion and Sun were removed from the flags, and a year later the present design was adopted.
  3. 1 2 Smith, Whitney. "Flag of Iran". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Why Are Iranian Protesters Using the Prerevolution Lion and Sun Flag? | Meaning, 2026 Protests, & History". Encyclopædia Britannica. 12 January 2026. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  5. ↑ McKeever, Amy (29 November 2022). "Why Iran's flag is at the center of controversy at the World Cup". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Why Are Iranian Protesters Using the Prerevolution Lion and Sun Flag? | Meaning, 2026 Protests, & History". Encyclopædia Britannica. 12 January 2026. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis". Dr. Kaveh Farrokh. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Lion and Sun". Ghorbany. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026. The oldest evidence for the simultaneous representation of the Lion and the Sun in Iran date to a cylinder of King Sausetar in 1450BC.
  9. 1 2 "The-Iranian-Lion-and-Sun-a-symbol-of-identity-and-eternity-FULL" (PDF). The British Museum. 3 September – 9 December 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Farrokh, Kaveh (14 August 2009). "The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A Brief Analysis". Dr. Kaveh Farrokh. Archived from the original on 1 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Meaning Behind The Lion & Sun: A Symbol of Persian Legacy". The Lion and The Sun Podcast. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 Farrokh, Kaveh (13 July 2013). "Lion & Sun Emblem of Iran, a Pictorial Historical Analysis – Part 3". Iran Politics Club. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Browne, Edward G. (1910) [1907-10-07]. "4. The Supplementary Fundamental Laws of October 7, 1907". The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909/Appendix A: The Bases of the Persian Constitution. Cambridge University Press. p. 373 – via Wikisource. Art. 5. The official colours of the Persian flag are green, white and red, with the emblem of the Lion and the Sun.
  14. ↑ Najmabadi, Afsaneh (2005). Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity. University of California Press. pp. 86–88. ISBN 0-520-24262-9.
  15. ↑ "Changing the royal birth certificate". Westwood. 6 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Babayan, Kathryn (2002). Mystics, Monarchs, and Messiahs: Cultural Landscapes of Early Modern Iran. Harvard College. p. 491. ISBN 0-932885-28-4.
  17. ↑ Abedi, Hooman (13 January 2026). "How a flag became a rejection of Iran's theocratic rule". Iran International. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "Will the Iranian state move to reclaim the 'Lion and Sun' emblem?". Amwaj.media. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026. [dead link]
  19. ↑ "Qajar dynasty, 1905-1925". Flags of the World. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "Pahlavi dynasty, 1925-1964". Flags of the World. Archived from the original on 7 January 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "Pahlavi Dynasty, 1964-1979". Flags of the World. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "Changing the royal birth certificate". Westwood. 6 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 Najmabadi 2005, pp. 87–88.
  24. ↑ Babayan 2002.
  25. ↑ McKeever, Amy (29 November 2022). "Why Iran's flag is at the center of controversy at the World Cup". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022.
  26. ↑ Parsa, Mani (10 February 2026). "Iranian Regime Seeks To Reclaim Lion And Sun Symbol Embraced By Protesters". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  27. ↑ "How a flag became a rejection of Iran's theocratic rule | Iran International". Iranintl.com. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  28. ↑ Yearbook of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran). Tehran: Faroos, 1913 (1332 LH).
  29. ↑ Najmabadi, Afsaneh. Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005, pp. 68–88. Chapter II.
  30. ↑ Mokalla, Ebrahim. “The Lion and Sun: The Official Emblem of the State of Iran.” Journal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran), no. 12, 1965 (1344 SH), pp. 106–170. Available at Noormags (subscription required). Accessed 8 January 2020.
  31. ↑ “Regulation No. 83072: Approval Decree Concerning the Flag of Iran.” National Portal of Laws and Regulations of Iran. Tehran: Vice Presidency for Legal Affairs (Iran); Deputy for Codification, Consolidation, and Publication of Laws and Regulations, 1957 (1336 SH). Archived 18 June 2018. Accessed 18 June 2018. (In Persian).
  32. ↑ Zoka, Yahya. “History of Changes and Transformations in the Flag and Emblem of the State of Iran from the Beginning of the Thirteenth Century AH to the Present (6).” Honar va Mardom, vol. 4, no. 38 (November-December 1965 / Azar 1344 SH), pp. 21–30. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Arts (Iran). (In Persian).
  33. ↑ "11-rial stamp from the First Government Series (Pahlavi period; issue date: 6 Esfand 1352/25 February 1974, Malek Museum)". Malek Museum. Archived from the original on 15 September 2026. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  34. ↑ "Changing the royal birth certificate". Westwood. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  35. ↑ Manoto (Persian television network) (5 January 2021). "Time tunnel" (video). youtube.com (in Persian). Manoto.
  36. ↑ Manoto (Persian television network) (30 April 2022). "Iran Revolution, S1, EP05" (video). youtube.com (in Persian). Manoto.
  37. ↑ Manoto (Persian television network) (30 April 2022). "Iran Revolution, S1, EP02" (video). youtube.com (in Persian). Manoto.
  38. ↑ Manoto (Persian television network) (30 April 2022). "Iran Revolution, S1, EP03" (video). youtube.com (in Persian). Manoto.
  39. ↑ Manoto (Persian television network) (30 April 2022). "Iran Revolution, S1, EP04" (video). youtube.com (in Persian). Manoto.
  40. ↑ Mo'tazed, Khosrow (8 May 2014). "Helāl-e Ahmar alāmat-e behdāri-ye dowlat-e Osmani bud" [The Red Crescent was the medical service emblem of the Ottoman State]. Asr-e Iran (in Persian). Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  41. ↑ "Iran: Transition period (1979-1980)". www.fotw.info. Archived from the original on 3 October 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  42. ↑ “Emblem of the Islamic Republic Approved by the Revolutionary Council.” Bamdad (newspaper), p. 3, 30 January 1980 (10 Bahman 1358 SH). Available via Fars News Agency. Archived 14 April 2019. (In Persian).
  43. ↑ McKeever, Amy (29 November 2022). "Why Iran's flag is at the center of controversy at the World Cup". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 5 September 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  44. ↑ Maleki, Ammar (March 2022). "IRANIANS' ATTITUDES TOWARD POLITICAL SYSTEMS: A 2022 SURVEY REPORT" (PDF). The Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in IRAN (GAMAAN). p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  45. ↑ Vaux-Montagny, Nicolas (8 January 2023). "Marches in Europe support Iran protests, assail government". AP News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  46. ↑ "Thousands protest in Berlin in solidarity with Iranian uprisings". Reuters. 7 February 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  47. ↑ "Thousands of people protest in Westwood for Iranian regime change". Daily Bruin.
  48. ↑ "Iran's pre-revolution flag displayed in Tehran protests". Iran International. 9 January 2026. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  49. ↑ "Video shows monarchist flag displayed during Ramsar protest". Iran International. 4 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  50. ↑ "Protesters pull down Islamic Republic flag in Tehran". Iran International. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  51. ↑ Sawer, Patrick; Williams, Eric (10 January 2026). "Protester tears down Iranian regime flag from London embassy". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  52. ↑ "Large Lion and Sun flag raised at Munich rally". Iran International. 14 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  53. ↑ "Old National Flag with Lion and Sun Emerges as Symbol of Resistance". 13 January 2026.
  54. ↑ Crafton, Adam; Kamrani, Christopher (19 May 2026). "FIFA will again prohibit the pre-revolutionary Iran flag in World Cup stadiums". The New York Times.
  55. ↑ "FIFA to ban pre-revolutionary Iran flag at World Cup - Athletic". 19 May 2026.
  56. ↑ "X changes Iran flag emoji to lion and sun symbol in support for protests". Iran International. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
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