The newly verified X account for Iran's supreme chief may very well be placing the corporate on the fallacious facet of US sanctions, in response to a watchdog group. The Tech Transparency Challenge, which final month revealed a report on X granting premium perks to sanctioned officers in Iran, now says that the verified account for the nation's new chief raises contemporary questions in regards to the problem.
The TTP notes that the X account for Iran's new supreme chief, Mojtaba Khamenei, seems to be paying for an X premium subscription regardless of being on the US authorities's checklist of sanctioned people since 2019. Because the group factors out, the Iran-based account was created this month and presently bears a blue checkmark, which usually signifies the account holder is paying for a subscription.
Final month, TTP discovered that X was offering premium subscriptions to Iranian officers sanctioned by @USTreasury, a transaction which will violate sanctions.
It didn't finish there.
An account for Iran's new supreme chief created this month additionally carries the blue premium checkmark.🧵 pic.twitter.com/5K9Ss1Sex8— Tech Transparency Challenge (@TTP_updates) March 12, 2026
The account belonging to Mojtaba Khamenei has been boosted by different state-linked accounts in Iran, together with the one which beforehand belonged to Khamenei's father. That account has had a grey checkmark, which signifies it belongs to a verified authorities official. Verified accounts on X are rewarded with further visibility on the platform, together with different perks. The youthful Khamenei's verified account has already gained greater than 20,000 new followers within the hours since TTP first posted about it.
"The brand new Supreme Chief's account is simply the newest account for a sanctioned entity apparently paying X for premium providers," TTP director Katie Paul mentioned in an announcement to Engadget. "TTP has recognized dozens of accounts, many linked to designated terrorists, that subscribed to X premium over the previous three years. What's extra regarding than the blatant disregard for U.S. sanctions regulation is the truth that Musk's firms have a contract with the Pentagon whereas X is actively cashing in on U.S. adversaries."
As Paul notes, this isn't the primary time TTP has raised questions on whether or not X is working afoul of US sanctions by way of its premium service. In 2024, the group revealed a report noting that X was accepting paid verification from greater than two dozen sanctioned people and teams. The corporate mentioned on the time that it had a "a sturdy and safe strategy in place for our monetization options."
X didn't instantly reply to a request for remark. The corporate eliminated blue checks from a handful of Iran-based accounts flagged by TTP final month following reporting from Wired.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-could-be-breaching-us-sanctions-on-iran-watchdog-warns-213550284.html?src=rss