[85888] Wave of Iranian protests: 'Shir-o-Khorshid' flags appear in state television broadcasts

Activists report hacking of state television broadcasts in Iran

During sporting events that took place today, June 16, 2026, many social media users reported the reappearance of the "Shir-o-Khorshid" (Lion and Sun) flag - the symbol of Iran before the Islamic Revolution - within the broadcasts of state television (IRIB).

According to RADOCLUB, identified with the exiled opposition, activists celebrated the event under the banner "We have succeeded, my son." The reports come accompanied by the hashtag "#جاویدشاه" (Long live the King), representing a distinct royalist line of resistance. DenizHeydarpour echoed these sentiments and noted that this is a "great achievement" for the opponents.

Additional sources on Twitter, including fofolifoo, claimed that this was a deliberate and timed move by protesters, which causes the "state television to not even be able to show the flag of the Islamic Republic" without the old flag appearing in the frame. batmaniei7vrc added that "every time the camera moves, you see the Shir-o-Khorshid flag," and claimed it is content that cannot be censored.

Simultaneously, users like Garsha293 linked the activity to the disruption of international sporting events, and claimed that the activists "blackened FIFA's face" while proudly displaying their flags. On the other hand, there were users who called to report these accounts with the aim of getting them blocked, as written by MahSaghi232323.