JANUARY 10, 2026 — The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has implemented a significant change to its emoji library, replacing the official state flag of Iran with a historical design known as the Lion and Sun, reports Emojipedia.
The update was first noted within the platform’s Twemoji GitHub repository and has since been rolled out for users viewing the site via a web browser.
The implementation marks the first documented emoji change on the platform since revisions were made to the pistol emoji in 2024.
This revision means that the Iranian flag emoji, when displayed on X’s web version, now shows the Lion and Sun symbol, a motif that was featured on the national flag for centuries, including the era before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The design is distinct from the current internationally recognized tricolour of green, white, and red, which features the red emblem adopted after the revolution, a design currently used by virtually all other emoji vendors globally.
The Lion and Sun design is now commonly associated with opposition groups and the Iranian diaspora, rather than the current government, according to Iran International.
The change, which affects all existing and future uses of the emoji on the web platform, reportedly follows a public exchange between a user and Nikita Bier, X’s Head of Product. The update is expected to be visible on iOS devices in the coming days, though users on Android devices will continue to see the flag rendered using their device’s native font.
Image: Emojipedia
