X Removes Paid Verification from Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Amid Sanctions Review

Social media platform X removed the verification badge from the account of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday. The removal followed inquiries into how a sanctioned leader could pay for premium services despite federal prohibitions.

Mojtaba Khamenei took power this month after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US strike on February 28. His English-language account had amassed approximately 175,000 followers by Tuesday afternoon before the badge disappeared.

The account previously displayed a blue checkmark, indicating a paid X Premium subscription. This status grants access to revenue-sharing features, which critics argue could allow the Iranian regime to profit directly from the platform.

Khamenei has been on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list since 2019 as a Specially Designated National. These regulations broadly prohibit American companies from conducting business or financial transactions with designated individuals.

Recent posts on the account have included militant rhetoric and calls to maintain pressure on the Strait of Hormuz. The messaging also advocated for continued attacks on US forces and regional allies during the ongoing transition of power.

Experts from the Tech Transparency Project suggest this reflects a broader pattern of inconsistent policy enforcement on the platform. They noted that several sanctioned entities have previously obtained verification through the platform’s paid systems.

The controversy coincides with heightened scrutiny of X’s parent company, xAI, which acquired the platform in 2025. The company currently maintains active defense contracts with the Pentagon under the Trump administration.

X’s own monetization terms explicitly bar users located in Iran from receiving payouts. However, the presence of a paid verification badge suggests that a financial transaction took place between the leader and the company.

Watchdogs have identified similar issues with accounts linked to Hezbollah and Hamas-aligned media. In many cases, verification badges were only removed after external researchers or news organizations flagged the accounts for review.

Neither X nor xAI have commented on the specifics of Khamenei’s account status. The Iranian government has not officially responded to the removal of the verification symbol as of Tuesday evening.