Iran FM spokesman lambasts X over removal of verification badge
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has criticised X for what he described as “selective censorship” after the platform removed his blue verification badge despite an active premium subscription.
“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 Tuesday, News.Az reports, citing Iran's English-language Press TV.
He described the move as “arbitrary de-verification” that fits what he called X’s pattern of selective censorship and “American digital piracy”.
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Baghaei also accused the platform of suppressing information about what he called the “illegal war on Iran”.
X did not immediately respond to the claims.
According to Press TV, the removal of verification badges from Iranian officials began in February. Accounts belonging to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei and Ali Larijani — then secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council — reportedly lost their blue checkmarks.
The outlet added that hundreds of accounts supportive of Iran’s stance against what it described as US-Israeli aggression have also been removed without explanation.
Press TV said X’s verification policies have been controversial globally, noting that since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022, it has faced criticism for removing verification badges and deleting accounts seen as politically sensitive.
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