The shape of the emblem is chosen to resemble a tulip, in memory of the people who died for Iran: it is an ancient belief in Iran, dating back to mythology, that if a young soldier dies patriotically, a red tulip will grow on his grave. In recent years, it has been considered the symbol of martyrdom .

The flag of Iran was officially adopted on July 29, 1980. It is tricolor flag with three equally sized bands of three different colors; green, white, and red. The in the middle of the white band is a national emblem featuring a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom, in red.