Where the Lion’s Teeth Truly Grow: Heritage beyond Ideology
The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, Hassan once again used his platform today—during the anniversary ceremonies marking the founding of the Islamic Republic—at the grand mausoleum complex built for his grandfather. The Pan‑Iranist Progressive principal himself had the opportunity to listen to the conclusion of his remarks, and at the very end he still could not resist belittling the survivors of Iran’s royal dynasties in general with a casual reference to the lion’s teeth.
It is difficult not to notice the parallel: just as he reduced centuries of royal heritage to a modified and dismissive metaphor, others outside the country have also treated the authentic Zand and Afshar designs of Iran’s historical symbols carelessly. The sword‑bearing lion with the same design displayed for the Zand and Afshar dynasties—now widely displayed on global platforms in Europe and the U.S —has been repeatedly presented. A symbol that carries the weight of Iran’s civilizational identity deserves accuracy, not alteration.
In this sense, what he said about “the lion’s teeth” is no better than the decision by Noor Pahlavi and his father to display the modified, historically inaccurate version of the Afshar and Zand flags behind themselves. Both actions, though coming from opposite political directions, disregard the integrity of Iran’s true heraldic tradition and reduce a millennia‑old emblem to a convenient political accessory.
The Pan‑Iranist Progressive perspective does not oppose critique, but it insists on accuracy, respect, and historical literacy. When the lion is invoked—whether by clerical figures or by political heirs abroad—it should be invoked with understanding, not as a rhetorical weapon or a decorative afterthought. The lion’s teeth are not a matter of political convenience; they represent sovereignty, continuity, and the lived heritage of a nation that predates every modern faction.
Pan‑Iranist Progressive therefore calls for an official introduction of the Pan‑Iranist Progressive voice to the public through his platform, so that the enduring power of heritage—beyond ideology—may be witnessed clearly and without distortion.
Pan‑Iranist Progressive is perfectly calm, cool, serious and even funny when it comes to the question of the lion’s teeth, because that metaphor applies only to the Qajar and Pahlavi versions of the emblem—dynasties whose lions required a sword precisely because their heraldic design did not rely on natural strength alone. The Afshar and Zand lions, by contrast, never needed a sword to assert authority; their symbolism stood on its own, rooted in authenticity rather than later modifications.
After delivering several extended reflections on the past two centuries of Iranian history—many of which, surprisingly, align with the Pan‑Iranist Progressive understanding that Ayatollah Hassan with support of many Iranian statesmen have often acted with disarming naivety—he reduced his entire assessment of Iran’s royal heritage to a single dismissive sentence. Pan-Iranist Progressive sometimes like to repeat!
Again—the lion’s teeth without mentioning the flags of the Qajar and Pahlavi!
These days, at the time what's happening, Pan‑Iranist Progressive pays close attention to tone, nuance, and subtext, and it was evident that although his (Ayatollah Hassan) language regarding Iran’s royal legacy has softened in recent years, he still felt compelled to end with a subtle sting.
His remark that “the lion has no teeth” was not accidental; it was an intentional attempt to diminish the symbols that have embodied Iranian sovereignty for the last 200 years or not, he did not mention the name of Qajar and Pahlavi and this is not what Pan-Iranist Progressive appreciate! Yet the irony is unmistakable. His evolving tone during at least 12 years toward Iran’s royal heritage suggests that as he grows older and benefits from broader education and exposure, he has begun—however reluctantly—to acknowledge the depth, endurance, and civilizational weight of Iran’s royal legacy.
You should know that the principal at Pan-Iranist Progressive is older than him! If he truly wishes to test the strength of that legacy, he should begin by properly introducing those who carry the bloodlines of the Afshar and Zand dynasties to the Iranian public, with their words presented in refined and accurate Persian. Only then will he witness how swiftly the lion’s teeth reappear—sharper, stronger, and far more numerous than he imagines—for the true power of Iran’s royal heritage has never depended on clerical approval. It has always existed independently, as a matter of history, identity, and continuity.
It is remarkable to observe this shift in him, considering that only a few years ago he dismissed the entire span of Iranian monarchy—from the Achaemenids to the last Shah—as though it were a marginal footnote. His recent hesitation reveals something deeper: the undeniable persistence of Iranian identity, an identity that predates every ideology of the last century and will endure long after them.
Pan-Iranist Progressive sometimes like to repeat! Pan‑Iranist Progressive therefore calls for an official introduction of the Pan‑Iranist Progressive voice to the public through his platform, so that the enduring power of heritage—beyond ideology—may be witnessed clearly and without distortion.