Elon Musk's X suspends Iran Supreme Leader's new account after posting in Hebrew

The account was suspended early Monday with a short note that said, “X will suspend accounts that violate X rules.” It was not immediately clear what the violation was. The Elon Musk-owned social media company did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The move came after Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time this weekend. Khamenei said in a speech on Sunday that the Israeli strikes – in response to Iran's ballistic missile attack this month – “should neither be exaggerated nor downplayed” without calling for retaliation.

The X account opened on Sunday with a message in Hebrew that read: “In the name of God the Merciful,” a standard Islamic greeting.

Khamenei's office has maintained multiple accounts for the 85-year-old supreme leader on X for years and has sent messages in various languages ​​in the past.

A second message corresponded to a speech Khamenei gave on Sunday and was sent on his English account as follows: “Zionists make a misjudgment about Iran.” They don't know Iran. “They are still unable to fully understand the power, initiative and determination of the Iranian people.” The message referred to Israel’s attack on Iran on Saturday.

This is not the first time Khamenei has faced suspension or removal from social media. In February, Meta deleted the supreme leader's Facebook and Instagram accounts over his support of the militant group Hamas following its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Social media platforms such as X and Facebook have been blocked in Iran for years, forcing Iranians to use virtual private networks to access them.