Meta took down the Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, which was criticized for its pro-Hamas posts. This action was taken because the California-based parent company of the platforms found that Khamenei had repeatedly violated their Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy. However, Meta did not specify the exact way in which the Iranian leader violated its policy. Their policy does not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in violence to have a presence on their platforms, even those designated as terrorists by the U.S. government.
Meta has faced pressure to remove Khamenei’s social media accounts for supporting Hamas’ attack. Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, praised Meta’s decision, stating that Khamenei has used these platforms for years to incite violent antisemitism, legitimize militant antizionism, and make genocidal threats. It’s important to note that while Facebook and Instagram have banned in Iran since the 2009 disputed presidential election, Khamenei still has an active account on Twitter, which is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The supreme leader of Iran publicly praised the Hamas terrorist group for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but denied Iran’s involvement in the attack.
Although there has been no clear evidence that Iran was directly involved in Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, the Islamist regime has consistently been the largest supporter of Hamas. The Iranian regime considers the state of Israel illegitimate and has long advocated for its elimination, funding various proxy forces that align with that goal. According to a report by the U.S. State Department in 2020, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups have collectively received up to $100 million per year from Iran.