'Disgraceful banner of Islamic Republic': Iran's exiled Crown Prince tells protesters to unfurl Shah-era lion and sun flag
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Disgraceful banner of Islamic Republic': Iran's exiled Crown Prince tells protesters to unfurl Shah-era lion and sun flag")
Iran protest Photograph: (AFP)
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged Iranian protesters to replace the Islamic Republic flag with the Shah-era Lion and Sun symbol, declaring the regime’s fall near. Protests sparked by economic collapse have intensified amid global support and deadly crackdowns.
Amid raging protest in Iran, exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi has urged protesters to replace the Islamic Republic flag with Shah-era Iranian flag. Announcing new phase of Iran protest, Pahlavi said that the foundations of the illegitimate Islamic Republic is shaken and “freedom is near.” He was referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei-led Iranian regime. This comes a day after a protester climbed on to the balcony of the Iranian embassy in central London and pulled down the country’s flag during an anti-regime demonstration in UK.
Reza Pahlavi hinted at homecoming and urged protesters to continue the demonstration till the regime falls. He urged protesters to not leave the streets, adding that US President Donald Trump is watching. He also appealed to the US president to extend help to people of Iran, while hinting at his homecoming. Hinting at US strike, he said that “international support will soon arrive.” He said, “All Iranian embassies and consulates belong to the Iranian people. The time has come for them to be adorned with Iran’s national flag, in place of the disgraceful banner of the Islamic Republic.”
Social media footage from Iran's protest at various locations showed people replacing the flag with the pre-Islamic revolution lion and sun flag. The Iranian embassy later posted a picture on its X account of the flag back in place with the caption “Iran’s flag is flying high." Moreover, Elon Musk’s platform X changed the Iranian flag emoji on the site from the one used since the Islamic revolution in 1979 to the pre-revolution flag featuring a lion and sun.
Additionally, Pahlavi told protesters inside Iran to make all institutions and apparatuses responsible for the regime’s propaganda as “legitimate targets.” He said that employees of state institutions, and the armed and security forces members have to choose between two options – stand with the people and become allies of the nation, or choose complicity with the murderers of the people. He also urged those protesting outside Iran to unfurl the Shah era flag on Iranian embassies and consulates and remove the regime's "disgraceful banner.”
Iran Protest: What we know
People of Iran took to streets amid collapsing economy earlier in December. The protest that was started by traders and shopkeepers as a part of falling rate of Iranian Rial intensified soon, with demands for the removal of the country’s supreme leader and an end to the existing regime. Iran's exiled Crown Prince and son of Shah, Reza Pahlavi has also hinted homecoming. US-based rights group HRANA said that over 500 people have been killed in the protest. The demonstrations are the most significant in Iran since a 2022-2023 movement sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.
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Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the United States and Israel want to create chaos and disorder in Iran by ordering riots. On Jan 10, the country’s attorney general said that anyone taking part in demonstrations will be treated as an “enemy of God”, a charge that carries the death penalty. Khamenei on Jan 9 called the demonstrators "vandals" and “saboteurs." Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US and urged people to not be provoked by foreigners. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iranian leaders reached out to negotiate after US military threats. He had warned Iran of military action if protesters are killed.
