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Why X suspended Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's new account
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's account on X was suspended for violating rules after it posted messages in Hebrew amid rising tensions with Israel.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's newly created account on social media platform X was suspended early Monday. The account, which posted messages in Hebrew, was taken down with a brief note stating that X suspends accounts that violate its rules, without specifying the violation.
This development comes on the heels of Israel's first open attack on Iran over the weekend, prompting a response from Khamenei. In a speech on Sunday, he cautioned against exaggerating or downplaying Israel's strikes, which were retaliation for Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this month.
The suspended account had posted a message in Hebrew, reading "In the name of God, the most merciful," a standard Islamic greeting.
A second message corresponded to a speech Khamenei gave on Sunday and was sent on his English account as: “Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don't know Iran. They still haven't been able to correctly understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people.” The message referred to Israel's attack Saturday on Iran.
This isn't the first time Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has seen a suspension or removal from social media. In February, Meta removed Facebook and Instagram accounts for the supreme leader over his support of the militant group Hamas after its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Social media platforms like X and Facebook have been blocked in Iran for years, requiring Iranians to use virtual private networks to access them.
Global Reactions
- The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting at Iran's request to discuss Israel's air strikes.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to respond "appropriately" to Israel's aggression, accusing the US of encouraging these actions.
- Iran reported a civilian casualty in Israel's attack, identified as Allahverdi Rahimpour, with no details on the circumstances.
Iran-Israel conflict
The tensions between Iran and Israel have been escalating, with Iran launching ballistic missiles at Israeli targets on October 1, 2024, in what it called "Operation True Promise 2". The conflict has also involved Hamas and Hezbollah, with significant humanitarian consequences.
