Meta announced on Thursday that it had taken action to ban all Facebook and Instagram accounts associated with Iran regime’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as reported by multiple media outlets.
The decision came as Meta stated, “We have removed these accounts for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy.”
Though Meta did not explicitly reference the Israel-Hamas conflict, the move to remove Khamenei’s accounts follows heightened pressure on the social media platform since Hamas’ attack on Israel last October, resulting in significant casualties.
Khamenei publicly supported the attack, despite denying Iran regime’s direct involvement, and has endorsed Palestinian retaliation against Israel’s offensive strikes on Gaza, contributing to a mounting death toll.
Furthermore, he has voiced support for Yemen’s Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Khamenei, who has held power in Iran for 35 years, had amassed 5 million followers on Instagram alone.
Meta justified its decision based on its policy aimed at preventing real-world harm, stating, “We do not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on our platforms.”
The company affirmed its commitment to removing content that glorifies or supports dangerous organizations and individuals.
Despite this action, Khamenei maintains a social media presence on Elon Musk’s X platform, boasting one million followers.
Social media platforms are heavily regulated in Iran, yet regime authorities continue to exploit them to promote their agendas.
Calls for the permanent closure of Khamenei’s accounts on Instagram and social media X have been ongoing for years.
Elon Musk, owner of the X social media platform, explained in an interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast in October that their platform operates under a legal framework similar to diplomatic immunity, drawing a comparison to the United Nations.
Musk’s platform removed one of Khamenei’s user accounts on January 10, 2022, after it shared an animation depicting the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump in retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force.
