Two men dressed in military uniforms raised the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag at a metro station in Tehran and called for war against what they termed "the criminal regime" of the ayatollahs, according to a video circulated Wednesday on social media and reports by local outlets and the opposition channel Iran International. The two were reportedly arrested, and photos apparently taken during their arrest were also shared online.
In the video, whose exact date of filming remains unclear, the pair are seen standing on a platform, waving the royal flag of Iran used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, now a symbol of resistance to the ayatollahs' regime among exiled supporters of the Shah. They placed a portable loudspeaker nearby, and when a bystander asked whether this was a prank, one of them reportedly replied, "This isn't a hidden camera. This is a war against the criminal regime."
ویدیوی منتشرشده در رسانههای اجتماعی نشان میدهد دو نفر با لباس نظامی در یکی از ایستگاههای متروی تهران پرچم شیر و خورشید را برافراشتهاند.
در بخشی از این ویدیو یک نفر میپرسد: «دوربین مخفی است؟» که یکی از افراد نظامی جواب میدهد: «نه، مبارزه با رژیم تبهکار ولایت فقیه است.» pic.twitter.com/QOvpWHvnhL— ايران اينترنشنال (@IranIntl) November 12, 2025
Iran International cited the pro-regime Jamaran news agency, which reported that the two were arrested by the metro police, claiming their uniforms were fake air defense fatigues. In the footage, one man can be seen trying to snatch the flag from the protesters but ultimately gives up, while most commuters on the platform look on. The act of protest quickly spread across Iranian social media after the video's release.
Since the war with Israel in June, Iran's regime has been facing mounting civil disobedience, reflected in the widespread abandonment of the compulsory hijab, especially in Tehran. During the conflict, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran and son of the deposed Shah, called for the regime's overthrow, saying it was on the verge of collapse.
As protests intensify, the regime continues its unprecedented crackdown: 241 people were executed in October alone, according to the Norway-based human rights organization Hengaw. Meanwhile, arrests continue of those suspected of spying for or collaborating with Israel.
