Hebrew-Language Account of Iranian Supreme Leader Suspended by X After One Day

On Sunday, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) suspended a Hebrew-language account linked to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei just one day after it was launched. The suspension of the @Khamenei_Heb account came in response to a provocative tweet that appeared to threaten Israel, sparking immediate backlash and prompting the platform’s action.

The account’s tweet stated, “The Zionist regime made a mistake. It erred in its calculations on Iran. We will cause it to understand what kind of strength, ability, initiative, and will the Iranian nation has.” This message was widely interpreted as a response to Israel’s recent retaliation on October 26, following Iran’s earlier missile attack on October 1.

The suspension came under the authority of Elon Musk, who now owns X and has publicly voiced his support for Israel. Musk’s stance on freedom of speech has been a defining feature of his approach to running the platform, but he has also drawn a firm line against accounts that engage in hateful or violent speech. Although X did not specify the exact grounds for this account’s suspension, it directed readers to its policy on banning “violent and hateful entities.”

In recent years, social media has become a central arena for international discourse, where world leaders and governments interact directly with the global public. Khamenei’s Hebrew-language account, likely aimed at reaching an Israeli audience directly, reflected a shift in Iran’s use of social platforms as a means of political communication. However, the tone of the account’s messages quickly ran afoul of X’s rules, which explicitly prohibit incitement to violence.

This suspension also underscores the complexities of moderating content in the context of international tensions. Musk’s vocal support of Israel was evident during his visit to Israel last November and his attendance at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.S. Congress in July. Musk has actively promoted free speech on X but has emphasized that this freedom does not extend to threats or hate speech a stance that aligns with X’s broader policy of barring “violent and hateful entities” from the platform.

While the Iranian leader has long communicated his government’s anti-Israel stance through various channels, this attempt to establish a Hebrew-language presence on X represents a new development in Iran’s public relations strategy. The swift shutdown suggests a robust response from the platform against any messages promoting hostility toward Israel or other nations.

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