A rare incident occurred at Tehran's Imam Khomeini metro station on November 12: two uniformed Iranian regular army soldiers unfurled a historic flag bearing the "Lion and Sun" symbol—a pre-revolutionary emblem associated with the Pahlavi dynasty and royalist groups.

According to videos circulated on social media, soldiers were holding up the flag to passengers, pushing aside a government supporter who tried to snatch it. They declared their allegiance to the "Iranian Imperial Guard," an elite unit that existed under the Shah.

In a separate video, Colonel Ebrahim Aghaei Komazani of the Iranian regular army's aviation unit addressed the Iranian people against the backdrop of the same flag:

"I invite the people of Iran to begin a million-strong march on November 16th, under the 'Lion and Sun' flag, for the transition from the Islamic Republic regime."

The incident sparked online discussion as a sign of discontent within the armed forces. There was no official response from the Iranian government at the time of publication, but the situation could lead to a military coup.