TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Social media platform X has removed the blue verification badge from the account of Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Baghaei said the move amounted to an "arbitrary de-verification" and accused the platform of "selective censorship."
"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," he wrote.
He added that the action reflected "X's pattern of selective censorship and American digital piracy," aimed at "suppressing information" about U.S. actions toward Iran.
X did not immediately respond to the claim.
In February, X removed verification badges from several senior Iranian officials. The change came after the Tech Transparency Project, a Washington-based group that monitors technology companies, said the platform was providing paid services to individuals under U.S. sanctions.
Those who lost verification included Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ali Larijani, then secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. ■
