The social media platform X has suspended the newly launched Hebrew-language account associated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, just a day after it was activated. The account, which operated under the handle @Khamenei_Heb, was taken down for reportedly violating X’s rules shortly after it posted a warning directed at Israel regarding its military actions. The post emphasized that “Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran,” stating that they fail to comprehend the strength and determination of the Iranian people.
X’s community guidelines generally prohibit content from “violent and hateful entities,” though they often allow exceptions for posts from governmental bodies. Despite this, the platform proceeded with the suspension of Khamenei’s account, leading to no immediate public comments from either Khamenei’s office or representatives from X. This action comes in the wake of increased tensions following recent Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iran as a response to earlier missile incidents.
Access to platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook has been heavily restricted in Iran, prompting citizens to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass these controls. Nevertheless, Khamenei’s office has maintained several accounts on X over the years, posting messages in different languages. In a related development, Meta had previously removed Khamenei’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram for content linked to Hamas in February.
