Twitter told it's violating sanctions by allowing Iran leaders to have accounts
Four US senators have asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to stop providing social media services to Iran's leaders.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Twitter has been asked to stop providing accounts to Iran's leaders.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been asked to stop providing social media services to Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. In a letter published Friday, US Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn told Dorsey that allowing those leaders to hold Twitter accounts violates an executive order issued in June 2019 by President Donald Trump. The order prohibits Americans from providing goods and services to Khamenei and his office, according to the letter.
"It is a sanctionable offense for 'any person' to have 'provided ... technological support for, or goods or services to persons designated pursuant to that EO," the letter reads.
The senators say Twitter is aware of the accounts held by Khamenei and Zarif, and of their links to the Iranian regime but "continues to provide internet-based communications services."
"While the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of Americans ... the Ayatollah enjoys zero protection from the United States Bill of Rights," the letter says. "The Ayatollah and any American companies providing him assistance are entirely subject to US sanctions laws."
A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment.
