Flag of Iran
Asia
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Tehran
- Flag adopted
- 1980
- Population
- 85,961,000
- Area
- 1,648,195 km²
- Languages
- Persian (Farsi)
- Currency
- Iranian rial (﷼) — IRR
- Demonym
- Iranian
- Government
- theocratic republic
- Subregion
- Southern Asia
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+03:30
- Independence
- 1979
Religions
- Muslim 98.5%
- Christian 0.7%
- Baha'i 0.3%
- Agnostic 0.3%
- Other 0.2%
About This Flag
The flag of Iran consists of three equal horizontal bands of green on top, white in the middle, and red on the bottom. Centered on the white stripe is the national emblem — a stylized tulip-shaped rendering of the word 'Allah' in red.
Along the inner edges of both the green and red bands, the Takbir phrase 'Allahu Akbar' ('God is Greatest') is repeated 22 times in white Kufic script, representing the date of the Islamic Revolution (22 Bahman in the Iranian calendar, or February 11, 1979). The green-white-red tricolor dates back to the early 18th century, but the current emblem and inscriptions were added after the 1979 revolution, officially adopted on July 29, 1980.
What the colors & design mean
Green represents Islam and growth. White symbolizes peace and honesty. Red stands for courage, martyrdom, and the blood of those who died for the nation. The central emblem combines the word 'Allah' with sword and crescent imagery, and the Takbir inscription commemorates the Islamic Revolution.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (7)
Fun Facts
- The phrase 'Allahu Akbar' is written exactly 22 times on each edge of the green and red bands, totaling 88 repetitions, corresponding to the revolutionary date of 22 Bahman 1357 (February 11, 1979).
- The central emblem was designed by Hamid Nadimi and is a geometric composition of Islamic calligraphy combining the word 'Allah' with elements shaped like crescents, tulips, and a sword.
- Iran's green-white-red tricolor format has been in use since the early Qajar dynasty in the 18th century, making the basic color scheme one of the older continuous national color traditions in the Middle East.
- The pre-revolutionary imperial flag featured a lion holding a sword with the sun rising behind it, a symbol known as the Shir-o-Khorshid (Lion and Sun) that dated back centuries.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
More Asia Flags
🇦🇫 Afghanistan · 🇦🇲 Armenia · 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan · 🇧🇭 Bahrain · 🇧🇩 Bangladesh · 🇧🇹 Bhutan · 🇧🇳 Brunei · 🇰🇭 Cambodia
Explore by Category
Test Your Knowledge!
Think you can identify the flag of Iran?
Play Flag Quiz