History of the Iran Flag: Lion and Sun, 1979 Revolution & 1980 Islamic Republic Design
Iran’s green-white-red tricolour predates the Islamic Republic, but the central emblem and repeating Allahu Akbar inscription were introduced after the 1979 revolution.
The older green-white-red tricolour
Green, white and red became established as Iran’s national tricolour before the Islamic Republic and were used under earlier constitutional and monarchical governments.
The Lion and Sun emblem
For much of modern Iranian history, the central white stripe carried the Lion and Sun, a long-standing Iranian state emblem.
1979 revolution
The Islamic Revolution ended the monarchy and created the Islamic Republic, prompting a redesign of the national emblem.
Article 18 of the Constitution
The Constitution retained the green-white-red tricolour but specified the special emblem of the Islamic Republic and the motto Allahu Akbar.
1980 current design
The new emblem and repeating inscription were standardized in 1980, replacing the Lion and Sun on the official state flag.
Why 22 Allahu Akbar inscriptions?
The phrase is repeated eleven times along each border of the white stripe, for 22 repetitions in total, commemorating 22 Bahman in the Iranian calendar.
What stayed the same?
The basic green-white-red horizontal tricolour survived the political transformation, creating continuity between pre-revolutionary and Islamic Republic flags despite the replacement of the central emblem.
Why older Iranian flags still appear
The Lion and Sun flag remains visible in historical material and among some Iranian diaspora and opposition groups, but it is not the flag used by the Islamic Republic.
