Amid the intense protests taking place in Iran, the social network modified the symbol of its flag and replaced it with the version that existed before the Islamic Revolution
The change coincides with a new wave of protests in Iran, triggered by the collapse of the national currency, inflation, and the deterioration of economic conditions.
The demonstrations began on December 28 in the vicinity of the Grand Bazaar of Tehran and quickly spread to other cities. The protesters denounce corruption, unemployment, and the lack of prospects, as well as the political repression exercised by the authorities.
The social network X, owned by the American entrepreneur Elon Musk, recently modified the design of the emoji of the Iranian flag in its web version, replacing the official emblem of the Islamic Republic with the historic symbol of the lion and the sun, used for centuries before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The change, detected by users on Friday, is taking place in the context of widespread protests and growing internal pressure against the regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The previous emoji reflected the official flag of the Islamic Republic, with the red emblem introduced after the fall of the monarchy. The new version shows the lion and the sun, a symbol associated with pre-revolutionary Iran and the overthrown monarchy, which was removed by the Islamist authorities as part of their ideological break with the past.
Although the change is still only visible to users who access X through web browsers, all posts, old and new, now show the new design on that platform.
After the update, the emoji with the lion and the sun began to appear even on official accounts of officials of the Islamic Republic and state media, including some linked to the Revolutionary Guard, such as Tasnim News.
The situation has caused discomfort and criticism within the regime, since the symbol is considered by the dictatorship as a representation of a historical period that it has tried to erase from official discourse for more than four decades.
Under the leadership of Khamenei, the regime has replied disastrously to internal crises with repressive measures and accusations against external actors. Iranian officials have blamed the United States and Israel for fomenting the unrest and have warned that the security forces and the judicial system won't show "any tolerance" toward the protesters, a stance that reinforces allegations of human rights violations.
Meanwhile, Musk announced the activation of the Starlink satellite internet service in Iran during an information blackout imposed by the authorities, offering free access for an unspecified period. The measure weakened the regime's attempts to control the flow of information, one of the pillars of its power.
From Washington, the American president Donald Trump stated that Iran is "in big trouble" due to the expansion of the protests and warned the Iranian government against the use of lethal force.
