Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, have announced that they will delete posts supporting or giving credence to the slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in order to comply with strict US sanctions against the Iranian regime.
Last April, Instagram deleted Soleimani’s account following the US State Department’s designation of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, led by Soleimani, as a terrorist organization. The platform has now taken further steps to prevent anti-US or pro-Soleimani propaganda from being posted.
Instagram is among the few Western social media platforms accessible in Iran. In contrast, Facebook and Twitter are blocked in the country due to being American companies perceived to promote American interests. Some Iranians use VPNs to access these blocked sites, but Instagram remains available. However, Facebook has announced that Instagram will now conform to US sanctions against Iran, leading to outcry from the Iranian government.
The Iranian government has called for nationwide legal action against Instagram in protest. Iran’s government spokesperson, Ali Rabiei, criticized Instagram’s actions as “undemocratic” in a tweet.
“We operate under US sanctions laws, including those related to the US government’s designation of the IRGC and its leadership,” stated a Facebook spokesperson.
The Facebook statement follows Instagram’s deletion of a photo of Soleimani posted by verified Iranian soccer player Alireza Jahanbakhsh after his death.
According to Instagram, posts supporting terrorist groups or endorsing their activities or leaders are prohibited on the platform.