Iran's embassy in Zimbabwe has posted a list of official X handles for senior government figures, saying the exercise was necessary because X had begun stripping verification badges from Iranian official accounts, urging the followers to keep track of the authentic profiles amid the growing confusion.
"Since X has started removing verification marks from Iranian official accounts, it's good to have this list in case you missed following them," the embassy wrote in the post on Tuesday night.
The list included the handles of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and Defence Minister Mohammad Hatami.
Since X has started removing verification marks from Iranian official accounts, it's good to have this list in case you missed following them ????@MKhamenei_ir @drpezeshkian @mb_ghalibaf @ejei_org @araghchi @IRIMFA_SPOX @ir_rezaee @mmohammadii61 @hatami_org
— Iran Embassy in Zimbabwe (@IRANinZIMBABWE) May 5, 2026
Iran foreign ministry spokesperson Baghaei was blunt in his own assessment of the removals. "X has now removed the blue check from Iran's MFA Spokesperson's account, after stripping the Ministry and Minister's verified badges — despite our full Premium+ payments,"
Baghaei wrote on X. He called it "arbitrary de-verification" that fits "X's pattern of selective censorship and American digital piracy."
X has now removed the blue check from Iran's MFA Spokesperson's account—after stripping the Ministry and Minister's verified badges—despite our full Premium+ payments.
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) May 5, 2026
This arbitrary de-verification fits X's pattern of selective censorship and American digital piracy, aimed at…
The removals came after the Tech Transparency Project reported that X was offering its paid Premium service to Iranian figures subject to US sanctions. Accounts that lost verification included Foreign Minister Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Ejei, and Ali Larijani, then secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
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US sanctions on Iran prohibit American companies from conducting business with certain sanctioned individuals and entities. X has not publicly commented on the removals.
The de-verification has had a chaotic downstream effect. Within hours of the badges disappearing from official accounts, satirical parody accounts styled as senior Iranian officials began drawing thousands of views and followers, blurring the line between official statements and satire.
X had previously replaced the Islamic Republic flag emoji with the pre-1979 Lion and Sun emblem for accounts set to Iran — a move that drew criticism from pro-government users. The latest removals, coinciding with the ongoing US-Iran conflict over the Strait of Hormuz, have added a digital dimension to what is already a deeply fraught geopolitical confrontation.
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