Iran is the leading designated state sponsor of terrorism, and its top regime officials - political, religious, and military - have a presence on all social media, where they post, inter alia, calls for the destruction of Israel and anti-U.S. content. It must be noted that while the Iranian leadership use Western social media freely, the regime does not accord the same freedom of expression to Iran's citizens.
One notable example, reported on recently by the MEMRI Cyber & Jihad Lab, is the Instagram account of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani (see IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, Designated By U.S. Treasury Dept., Is Active On Instagram; Posts Include Image Of White House Exploding, August 16, 2018).
Another important social media account run by an Iranian leader is the Twitter account of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Twitter handle is khamenei_ir; his account has been active since March 2009. The account has 9,255 tweets, 513,000 followers and 1,267 photos and videos at the time of publication.
Leader Khamenei also maintains Twitter accounts in Farsi (khamenei_fa), Arabic (ar_khamenei), French (khamenei_fra), and Spanish (Khamenei_es). The "bio" section of his account reads: "Follow for regular updates and news about Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader - Arabic Account: @ar_khamenei." In all, Khamenei has nearly 750,000 followers on Twitter.
Khamenei's English-language Twitter profile page
According to Twitter's Terms of Service, users "may not make specific threats of violence or wish for the serious physical harm, death, or disease of an individual or group of people. This includes, but is not limited to, threatening or promoting terrorism. You also may not affiliate with organizations that - whether by their own statements or activity both on and off the platform - use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes."[1]
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said recently that the platform is working extensively to stamp out some of the harassment and hate speech that has generated bad headlines lately.[2] He added that he is "definitely not happy with where [Twitter's] policies are" regarding hate speech.[3]
The following are tweets posted by Khamenei between June 2017 and September 2018:
Israel And "The Zionists"
On June 3, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Our stance against Israel is the same stance we have always taken. #Israel is a malignant cancerous tumor in the West Asian region that has to be removed and eradicated: it is possible and it will happen. 7/31/91 #GreatReturnMarch."
On July 16, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "By God's grace, the Palestinian nation will certainly gain victory over the enemies and will witness the day when the fabricated Zionist regime will be eradicated."
On March 1, 2018, Khamenei tweeted numerous times in condemnation of Israel. For example, he wrote: "Some years ago, the Zionist regime claimed it would do this or that to Iran within 25 years of time. I said at that time, 'They won't be around in 25 years!'" He also tweeted: "We do not accept the Shi'ite brand of Islam supported by London or the Sunni form of Islam backed by America and Israel; because Islam is against kufr, cruelty, and hegemony."
On January 29, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "God's cure be upon the arrogant powers, their agents, as well as the vicious Zionist regime and the U.S. for destroying Muslims in such a horrendous manner."
On January 16, 2018, Khamenei tweeted multiple times about "the Zionists": "#Palestine is an important issue of the Muslim World which has been totally ignored. Defeating the Zionists in a soft war is possible just as it is during hard war"; "I believe that this struggle against the Zionist regime will bear fruit, just as the #resistance has progressed today"; "There was a time when the Zionists chanted 'From the Nile to Euphrates,' today they are building up walls around themselves so that they can protect themselves on that occupied land"; and "#Palestine is a collective, a country with a history. Palestine is from the river to the sea and #AlQuds is undoubtedly its capital."
On November 23, 2017, Khamenei tweeted:
On November 23, 2017, Khamenei tweeted a series focusing on Palestine: "With deep regret, we should admit that there are people within the Muslim nation and states acting upon what the US & Zionists desire. Under such conditions, unity among the Islamic world is the number one obligation"; "We hope a day will come when #Palestine is given back to the Palestinian people. That day will be the #Eid and celebration for the Islamic World; it will be a real blow to the arrogant front; and, that day will come"; "Today, the issue of Palestine is the primary issue among the Muslim world, since it has been an Islamic country usurped and turned into a means of sabotaging the security of several countries in the region. This cancerous tumor (Zionist regime) should be fought against."
On June 2, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Woe to the heads of those dependent and traitorous countries, who refrain from the great duty of fighting against #Israel and defending #Palestine only to win U.S.'s attention and a few more days of power. 1/22/91 #GreatReturnMarch"
On April 26, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Friendship with the unbelievers brings misery to Muslims, like the friendship some Muslim states have with the Zionist regime, exchanging kind words and establishing economic or political relations."
On September 24, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Since 1979 revolution, Iran never recognized Zionist regime," that the "apartheid Zionist regime will also collapse" like "South Africa's Apartheid regime," and that "Iran won't compete w/Zionist regime envoys in sports matches as we believe this is true championship."
On June 9, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "As constantly stated, #Palestine is 'From the River to the Sea'; From Jordan river to Mediterranean Sea: this is Palestine & #ALQuds is irrefutably its capital. 1/16/18 #Muslims will resist, won't allow fulfillment of enemies' vicious plots, esp regarding AL-Quds. 12/19/00."
Islamic State (ISIS) - Created By The U.S.
On April 14, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "The U.S. played a major role in creating #ISIS, they entered where ISIS was trapped to save them. They raised the wicked creatures [ISIS] with Saudi money, turning them [ISIS] lose on Iraqi and Syrian nations; but, resistance against the US and their agents saved these countries."
On June 12, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "That US arms a terrorist group is what causes instability. Who created #ISIS? The US!"
On June 20, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "#ISIS was created by their (USA's) support and funding, they want ISIS in the palm of their hands, remaining in #Iraq."
On February 8, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "The U.S. created #ISIS, the U.S. president mentioned that in his presidential campaigns. Besides creating it, the U.S. also supported them: it's likely American groups, like the former Black Water, trained them on some of the barbaric and violent tactics." On the same day, he tweeted: "Resistance against oppression and corruption at an international level and exposing them are among the Islamic Republic's principal policies. Today the most oppressive and merciless entity among the world is the U.S. government, which is even more barbaric than #ISIS."
On April 14, 2018, Khamenei replied to a previous tweet of his that day, saying: "In his speech a few hours ago, the US president said we managed to defeat ISIS in #Syria - a blatant, obvious lie!"
On June 13, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "Who created ISIS? Was it anyone but the US? Ayatollah Khamenei asks..." along with a link to an article with the same title on his English-language website and the image from that article.
On March 21, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "The U.S.'s plot was to create and empower takfiri groups like ISIS, meant to send Muslim countries into a state of internal wars so that nations would forget about the Zionist regime. We managed to nullify that plot."
On October 26, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "US officials created #ISIS, but now that terrorists have been defeated by Iraqi govt & people, they pretend they're w/ this great phenomena!" He replied to his own tweet later the same day: "Addressing the Iraqi Prime Minister: 'Never trust the US; they will look for any opportunity to strike a blow against Iraq again.'"
On January 16, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "U.S. officials are chanting slogans on fighting terrorism, while they openly support the terrorist Zionist regime. Besides, according to the U.S. president's confessions, in his election campaigns, U.S. was the main factor in creating ISIS & supported them till their last breaths."
The U.S.
On September 17, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "Every day US govt. exposes a new side of its viciousness & proves Imam Khomeini's words true: US govt. is the great Satan. #JCPOA"
On August 13, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Recently, U.S. officials have been talking blatantly about us. Beside sanctions, they are talking about war and negotiations. In this regard, let me say a few words to the people: THERE WILL BE NO WAR, NOR WILL WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE U.S.."
On November 2, 2017, Khamenei posted a photo of himself on stage. The photo is accompanied by text that reads: "You witnessed American pres. recently call Iran 'a nation of terrorist'. This is absolutely absurd; he calls an entire nation, terrorists!"
On April 24, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "When the American eagle sank into the sands of Iran's desert" along with a link to a video on his website by the same name marking the anniversary of the failed 1980 U.S. attempt to rescue the 52 American hostages being held in Tehran. The tweet included a still image from the video showing U.S. President Jimmy Carter with the text "U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, immediately ordered the cancellation of the invasion operation and the return of the team."
On July 1, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "#Resistance may have a price but it also has great feats that are worth 100 times the price nations pay. Yet, surrendering to arrogant & vicious enemy brings about nothing but the trampling, humiliation & loss of identity of a nation. Surrender has a higher price than resistance."
On the same day, Khamenei also tweeted: "U.S.'s animosity increases on a daily basis, so does Iranian nation's hatred for U.S. Enemies of Iran represent enmity against nation's dignity, independence, progress & elevation. Foes won't give up mischief as long as they can but surely their mischief won't bear any results."
On December 27, 2017, Khamenei posted a series of tweets about U.S. presidents and spending. One tweet reads: "U.S. govt spends a tremendous amount of money on sowing discord among people, and takes up the wealth of rich rulers in the region. By God's Grace - they should know - we will progress powerfully. By God's will, we will disappoint U.S. on all arenas."
On September 21, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "POTUS' derogative & cheap talk is filled with lies & distress, & gangster rhetoric exposing their anger, desperation & ignorance. #UNGA"
On June 12, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "US president accuses Iran of terrorism, while terrorism in this region has American roots."
On April 30, 2017, Khamenei tweeted a photo of a gathering headed by himself, identified as "Meeting with a group of laborers ahead of Labor Day | 30/04/2018." The photo is accompanied by text that reads: "U.S.'s plan is to provoke some ignorant govts. with little knowledge, in our own region, to confront the Islamic Republic. If these govt. officials gain some wisdom, they won't confront the Islamic Republic; but, if they stand against Iran, they will certainly suffer from defeat."
On April 18, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "We should stand against this war and the plots of the enemy's front. Besides defending, we should have offensive plans against the enemy, too, so that our intelligence services will take hold of the game."
On July 3, 2017, the anniversary of the U.S.'s July 3, 1988 shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655, Khamenei tweeted a graphic of a plane being shot down with the text: "Could our nation ever forget this? Towards the end of the war, our passenger plane was targeted by missiles fired from an American warship and was downed in the Persian Gulf. There were about 300 people on that plane. They were all killed. Then instead of reprimanding the officer who shot down the place, the then US President awarded a medal to the officer. Do they really expect our nation to forget this? Could our nation ever forget this?"
On December 27, 2017, Khamenei tweeted: "Our main enemy - the U.S. regime - leads the most corrupt and oppressive govt. According to news we've received, they're still supporting ISIS and the like. They support the Saudi tyrannical ruling family in their crimes against #Yemen, & support Zionist atrocities in #Palestine."
On September 7, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "One of the cases on which #Iran and #Russia can cooperate is harnessing the United States; because the United States is a threat to the humanity and it is possible to harness it."
On September 9, 2018, Khamenei tweeted that "via their #resistance against the U.S.," the "Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation... have proved that if a nation does not fear the threats of the bullies and relies on their capabilities, they can make the superpowers retreat and suffer a defeat."
On April 18, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "We should stand against this war and the plots of the enemy's front. Besides defending, we should have offensive plans against the enemy, too, so that our intelligence services will take hold of the game."
On May 9, 2018, Khamenei tweeted: "Last night you heard the shallow statements Trump made. There were several lies in his speech. He threatened the Iranian govt. and the Iranian nation, claiming he would do one thing or another. On behalf of Iranian nation, 'Mr. Trump, you couldn't lift a finger if you tried.'"
[1] Help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules, accessed September 21, 2018.
[2] Money.cnn.com, August 20, 2018.
[3] Telegraph.co.uk, August 9, 2018.
Latest Posts
