Following backlash over Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's support for Hamas in the wake of their attack on Israel, Meta (formerly Facebook) has taken down Instagram and Facebook accounts associated with Iran's supreme leader. The removal of these accounts was confirmed by Meta on Friday. While Meta did not provide specific details about their decision, they stated that the accounts were removed due to repeated violations of their Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy.
Meta's policy prohibits organizations or individuals with violent missions or engagement in violence from having a presence on their platforms, including those designated as terrorists by the US government. The Iranian mission to the United Nations has not yet responded to the situation.
The accounts linked to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been praising the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and the hostage-taking of around 250 others. Shortly after the attack, Khamenei publicly supported Hamas, expressing admiration for those involved in planning the attack. It is worth noting that Khamenei still maintains an account on X (formerly known as Twitter).
There has been increasing pressure on online platforms to remove Khamenei in recent years, especially following the widespread protests that occurred after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Amini's arrest, allegedly due to her non-compliance with Iran's mandated headscarf, led to mass demonstrations.
Khamenei's use of Facebook has drawn criticism since his joining in 2012, as the social network is banned in Iran since the 2009 disputed presidential election and subsequent Green Movement protests. Instagram and Meta's WhatsApp messaging service were also blocked in Iran following protests related to Amini's death.
While Iran has provided support to Hamas, it is not believed to have directly orchestrated the attack on Israel in October. However, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has since resulted in the deaths of over 27,000 Palestinians and has caused tensions across the wider Middle East. Iranian-backed militias, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen, have launched attacks against Israel during this period.
Khamenei, along with his extensive network of supporters within Iran, has been the target of US sanctions for a long time. The US administration, under then-president Donald Trump, sanctioned Khamenei in 2019 amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the US's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.