New York, USA – In a surprising move that sparked widespread chaos on social media, the X platform removed verification badges (blue checkmarks) from the accounts of senior Iranian officials.
This action opened the floodgates to satirical accounts impersonating the leaders. As a result, the line between official statements and political satire became blurred.
The masks have fallen… from Araqchi to Khamenei
Within hours of the verification badges disappearing, users of the platform awoke to satirical impersonations that attracted thousands of followers and views.
The most notable examples included: Abbas Araqchi: An account impersonating the foreign minister posted the slogan “Long live the king” (associated with the previous monarchy) before being suspended.
Ali Larijani: A satirical account using his name tweeted that “anyone who believes a meaningful agreement
with the Islamic Republic is possible is naive.” It gained over 12,000 followers in a matter of hours.
Official silence and a warning from “Tasnim
Supreme Leader: A message posted on an account impersonating Ali Khamenei suggested seeking refuge
with the Taliban and requesting “six-month tourist visas” because “the situation is extremely dangerous.”
Ebrahim Raisi: A satirical account of the late president posted a Valentine’s Day message complaining
about not receiving a teddy bear. Another account sarcastically alluded to his death.
“X” and changing the rules of the game in Iran
Elon Musk’s platform didn’t stop at removing verification from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Judiciary Chief Mohseni Ejei.
It took deeper symbolic and technical steps: replacing the Islamic Republic’s flag
with the “Lion and Sun” symbol (Iran’s pre-1979 revolution emblem) for accounts linked to Iran.
Additionally, location tracking revealed that many pro-government accounts were posting from within Iran.
They were taking advantage of “privileged internet access.” Meanwhile, ordinary citizens suffer from censorship and are forced to use VPNs.
Activating fake accounts
While officials remained silent, the Revolutionary Guard’s media outlets expressed concern.
The Tasnim news agency reported that the removal of the blue badges had led to the activation of fake accounts
that misused Larijani’s name and image, as well as those of other figures, to mislead public opinion.
Current “X” rules allow for satirical accounts, provided their nature is disclosed.
Therefore, activists have exploited this to avoid being banned, with most accounts displaying the label “satire account” in their profile. This has turned the platform into a political battleground disguised as comedy.
