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Mojtaba Khamenei, a potential successor to Iran's supreme leader, has drawn controversy for holding a paid X (formerly Twitter) account, which a U.S. watchdog group claims constitutes a "clear violation" of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Controversy Over Paid 'X' Account Subscription

Controversy has erupted over a potential violation of U.S. sanctions, as Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, who is expected to be elected as Iran's next supreme leader, was found to possess a paid account on the social media platform X.

On the 12th (local time), Mojtaba Khamenei's official X account displayed the 'blue checkmark' verification, which is exclusively for paid subscribers. Paid X subscribers are exempt from the basic 280-character limit, allowing for longer posts, and receive additional benefits such as uploading lengthy high-definition videos and prominent placement in search results. This is interpreted as Khamenei's side subscribing to the paid service to fully convey his messages to a wider audience and maximize propaganda effects.

U.S. Sanctions Violation and Criticism

The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a U.S. non-profit watchdog group, strongly criticized Khamenei's ownership of a paid account, calling it a 'clear sanctions violation' via U.S. business news channel CNBC. The TTP alleged that X has provided premium services to several U.S. sanctioned individuals linked to terrorism over the past three years, generating revenue from them, and emphasized that this directly violates U.S. sanctions against Iran.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce have imposed extensive sanctions on the Iranian government. It is strictly prohibited for U.S. companies to engage in any commercial or financial transactions with sanctioned entities without special authorization or approval from the U.S. government. In response to requests for comment regarding this matter, SpaceX, X's parent company, did not provide any reply.

Khamenei's Strong Remarks

Mojtaba Khamenei expressed a hardline stance against the U.S. through his X account. He stated, "I assure everyone that we will not abandon revenge for the blood of the martyrs," demonstrating Iran's resolute will regarding its foreign policy. He also made remarks such as "the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be utilized," hinting at potential threats to international oil prices and the Middle East's geopolitical situation, drawing significant attention from the international community.

*Source: YouTube: Yonhap News TV (2026-03-13)*

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