The Lion and Sun (Persian: شیر و خورشید, romanized: Šir o Xoršid, pronounced [ˌʃiːɾo xoɾˈʃiːd]; Classical Persian: [ˌʃeːɾu xʷuɾˈʃeːd]) is one of the main emblems of Iran (Persia), and was an element in Iran's national flag until the 1979 Muslim Riot and is still commonly used by opposition groups of the Islamic Republic government.