The social media platform X has taken the surprise move of suspending a new account belonging to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which posted messages in Hebrew. The account was opened on Sunday and had already posted two messages, one in Hebrew and another in English, before it was suspended early on Monday. The brief note appended to the account read, “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules,” with no further explanation given for the suspension.
The account’s first message in Hebrew translated to “In the name of God, the most merciful,” a standard Islamic greeting, while the second message in English corresponded to a speech Khamenei gave on Sunday. In the speech, Khamenei warned Israel that its attacks on Iran would be a miscalculation, and that they did not accurately understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people.
This is not the first time Khamenei has had his social media presence disrupted. In February, Meta removed Facebook and Instagram accounts belonging to the supreme leader over his support of the militant group Hamas following its attack on Israel last year. The suspensions have been seen as a means of curtailing Khamenei’s reach and influence online.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Image via Getty)
Iran’s social media terrain is heavily restricted, with platforms like X and Facebook blocked within the country. As a result, Iranians use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access social media platforms from abroad. The suspension of Khamenei’s account on X adds another layer of complexity to the online environment in Iran.
The timing of the suspension comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, following a series of ballistic missile attacks by Iran against Israel and subsequent retaliatory strikes by Israel against Iran. Khamenei’s remarks on Sunday were seen as a cautionary message to Israel, warning against exaggerating or downplaying the importance of the attacks.
The Elon Musk-owned X has not commented on the suspension, leaving the reason for it unclear. Speculation is rampant, with some suggesting that the account may have violated X’s rules, possibly due to its contents or the language used. However, the exact reason for the suspension remains unknown, adding to the mystery surrounding Khamenei’s online presence.
