Twitter Bans Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for ‘Ban Evasion’ and Fake ‘Revenge’ Trump Video

An account linked to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was permanently suspended by Twitter yesterday three days after posting a fake video depicting an animated drone strike against Donald Trump as “revenge” for the assassination of a top Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani. 

Posted on the Twitter account @KhameneiSite, the video clip was called “Revenge is definite” was and depicted an apparent assassination of Trump

The video begins with Trump playing at his golf course in Mar-a-Lago, Florida with four other men, and the drone operator wearing military camouflage is then seen typing into a computer ready to launch the attack on Trump.

A message, “Soleimani’s murderer and the one who gave the order will pay the price,” then appears on Trump and one of the other associate’s phones after apparently being hacked by the operator.

The drone then flies over towards Trump and encapsulates him in a green box as he reads the message on his phone before the word “READY” is seen flashing in red as it prepares to strike Trump.

Journalist Kian Sharifi reported, “Twitter has permanently banned @KhameneiSite for ‘violating our ban evasion policy’, a Twitter spokesperson told BBC Monitoring today.”

“The account was set up in June 2021 as an apparent replacement for @Khamenei_Site, which was banned in January 2021. At the time of its suspension, @KhameneiSite was followed by Khamenei’s main Persian and English accounts,” Sharifi explained.

The account was set up in June 2021 as an apparent replacement for @Khamenei_Site, which was banned in January 2021. At the time of its suspension, @KhameneiSite was followed by Khamenei's main Persian and English accounts.https://t.co/4gw9XXmYVt

— Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) January 15, 2022

Sharifi then reported, “Twitter says @Khamenei_Site was banned in 2021 for creating fake accounts, among other things. However, tweets by that account were frequently retweeted by Khamenei’s main accounts. None of the Iranian Supreme Leader’s accounts are verified by Twitter.”

“Twitter initially deleted the tweet containing the animation before permanently suspending the account,” Sharifi concluded.

Twitter initially deleted the tweet containing the animation before permanently suspending the account.

— Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) January 15, 2022

Twitter user “sebastian usher” asked in response, “Does this site actually have any connection with Khamenei? Only 7000 or so followers….”

“The evidence suggests that it was run by his office. It was followed by Khamenei’s main Persian and English accounts,” Sharifi responded.

The evidence suggests that it was run by his office. It was followed by Khamenei's main Persian and English accounts.

— Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) January 15, 2022