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Latest from the Middle East: Social platform X suspends new account in name of Iran’s supreme leader
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Latest from the Middle East: Social platform X suspends new account in name of Iran’s supreme leader

Social platform X has blocked a new account in the name of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew.

The account was suspended early Monday with a short note that said, “X will suspend accounts that violate X rules.” It was not immediately clear what the violation was. The Elon Musk-owned social media company did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The move came after Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time this weekend. Khamenei said this in a speech on Sunday Israel’s attacks — in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack this month — “should neither be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while shy away from demanding retaliation.

The X account opened on Sunday with a message in Hebrew that read: “In the name of God the Merciful,” a standard Islamic greeting.

Khamenei’s office has maintained multiple accounts for the 85-year-old supreme leader on X for years and has sent messages in various languages ​​in the past.

A second message corresponded to a speech Khamenei gave on Sunday and was sent on his English account as follows: “Zionists make a misjudgment about Iran.” They don’t know Iran. “They are still unable to fully understand the power, initiative and determination of the Iranian people.” The message referred to Israel’s attack on Iran on Saturday.

This is not the first time Khamenei has faced suspension or removal from social media. In February, Meta deleted the supreme leader’s Facebook and Instagram accounts over his support of the militant group Hamas following its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Social media platforms such as X and Facebook have been blocked in Iran for years, forcing Iranians to use virtual private networks to access them.

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Here’s the latest:

Iraq lodges a protest with the United Nations because Israel violated its airspace in the attack on Iran

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Iraq has submitted a protest memorandum to the United Nations Secretary-General and the U.N. Security Council saying Israel violated its airspace in its attack on Iran over the weekend, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement .

The statement said Israeli “aggressor aircraft violated Iraq’s airspace and sovereignty and used Iraqi airspace to carry out the attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 26.”

It added that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had instructed the Iraqi foreign minister to discuss the matter with the United States. The two countries recently reached an agreement to begin winding down a U.S.-led coalition’s mission to combat the Islamic State militant group and withdraw much of the U.S. troops remaining in the country.

On Sunday, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement accusing the US of coordinating with Israel to use Iraqi airspace to attack Iran and threatening retaliation against US forces.

UN Security Council plans an emergency meeting at Iran’s request

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon at Iran’s request on Israeli airstrikes against the country.

Switzerland, which holds the rotating presidency, announced the meeting on Sunday and said the Iranian request was supported by Russia, China and Algeria, the Arab representative on the council.

Iran’s president vows to respond “appropriately” to Israeli attacks

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will respond to Israel “appropriately” after Israel openly attacked Iranian military sites for the first time this weekend.

“We do not seek war, but we will defend the rights of our nation and our country and respond appropriately to the aggression of the Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state television on Sunday.

Pezeshkian also said the US had promised Iran that it would end the war in Gaza and Lebanon if Iran restrained itself. “In response to our reluctance, they had promised to end the war, but they did not keep their word,” he said.

The Iranian president also warned that tensions would escalate if Israel’s aggression continues, adding: “We know that the United States is encouraging Israel to commit these atrocities.”

According to Iran, one civilian was killed in the Israeli attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran said Sunday that a civilian had been killed in Israel’s attack on the country, without providing details about the circumstances of his death.

State news agency IRNA identified the dead man as Allahverdi Rahimpour and said he lived in a suburb in southwest Tehran.

IRNA did not say what he did or where he was killed, but made it clear that he was not a member of the Iranian armed forces.

Iran has provided few details about the attack and the damage it caused.

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