Twitter shuts down account linked to Iran’s supreme leader after video threatening Trump

The social network Twitter has closed an account linked to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after the publication of an animated video simulating revenge against Donald Trump. We saw a robot and a drone there preparing the assassination of the former American head of state, during a round of golf in Florida. Two years ago, the latter had ordered a strike that killed in Baghdad (Iraq) General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Quds Force and architect of Iran’s regional influence strategy. “This account has been permanently suspended for violating our rules”, said a Twitter spokesperson interviewed by AFP, Saturday, January 15.

The @KhameneiSite account is not the main English account of the Ayatollah, @khamenei_ir, who is still active, but a multimedia account that relays his activities. Last year, a similar account had already been suspended by Twitter because of a similar video. According to the social network, protecting people and the content of conversations on the social network is a top priority for the company. The group invokes clear policies about abusive behavior and promises to continue to intervene in case of violations.

The Iranian Supreme Leader has repeatedly promised to avenge the death of General Qassem Soleimani, eliminated on January 3, 2020 in Iraq by an American drone strike ordered by Donald Trump. On January 3, on the occasion of the second anniversary of this strike, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also threatened to “revenge” former American leaders including Donald Trump.

The camp of the former American president regularly denounces the banishment of the Republican billionaire from Twitter, noting in particular that the accounts of several leaders considered by the United States as autocrats, including Ali Khamenei, are they authorized to relay their messages.