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Iran's supreme leader makes online threats to attack golfing Trump | Iran's supreme leader makes online threats to attack golfing Trump |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The image from the Khamenei-linked account appears to depict Donald Trump playing golf below an aircraft | The image from the Khamenei-linked account appears to depict Donald Trump playing golf below an aircraft |
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has posted online an apparent call for an attack on Donald Trump in revenge for last year's killing of its top military commander, Gen Qasem Soleimani. | Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has posted online an apparent call for an attack on Donald Trump in revenge for last year's killing of its top military commander, Gen Qasem Soleimani. |
A photomontage, on his official website, appears to show the ex-US president playing golf in the shadow of a warplane or large drone. | |
The website image is captioned "vengeance is definite". | The website image is captioned "vengeance is definite". |
Twitter has suspended a small account which first tweeted the image. | |
A spokeswoman told Reuters the account - @khamenei_site - was fake and violated Twitter's platform manipulation and spam policy. | |
However, the post was also retweeted by Ayatollah Khamenei's much larger Farsi Twitter account with 350,000 followers. It has since disappeared from that account. | |
#Iran : The threatening tweet against #Trump WAS retweeted on Ayatollah Khamenei’s main Farsi twitter account - not just the odd small one now removed Here is the screengrab It’s now been removed This surely raises questions about the main Farsi twitter site pic.twitter.com/DZf96X6iFu | #Iran : The threatening tweet against #Trump WAS retweeted on Ayatollah Khamenei’s main Farsi twitter account - not just the odd small one now removed Here is the screengrab It’s now been removed This surely raises questions about the main Farsi twitter site pic.twitter.com/DZf96X6iFu |
In the tweet, written in Farsi, the word "vengeance" is in red and the rest of the post says: "Soleimani's murderer and he who ordered it will have to pay". | In the tweet, written in Farsi, the word "vengeance" is in red and the rest of the post says: "Soleimani's murderer and he who ordered it will have to pay". |
On the Ayatollah Khomeini's official website, the image is posted prominently. The accompanying text quotes comments he made on 16 December, again vowing revenge "at any time". | |
Twitter had been urged to act after several users pointed out what they saw as the inconsistency of banning Mr Trump but not the Iranian leader. | |
Twitter closed Mr Trump's hugely influential account earlier this month after he published posts that were widely considered to have encouraged violence that overwhelmed the US Capitol. | Twitter closed Mr Trump's hugely influential account earlier this month after he published posts that were widely considered to have encouraged violence that overwhelmed the US Capitol. |
"How come this atrocious psychopath can openly call for the assassination of a former US president, and not be kicked out of Twitter?" one user wrote in English. | "How come this atrocious psychopath can openly call for the assassination of a former US president, and not be kicked out of Twitter?" one user wrote in English. |
"Trump's banned but this is perfectly ok. Is this a joke?" another user wrote. | "Trump's banned but this is perfectly ok. Is this a joke?" another user wrote. |
Trump’s Twitter downfall | Trump’s Twitter downfall |
Twitter ban is 'right' but 'dangerous' | Twitter ban is 'right' but 'dangerous' |
The Iranian tweet refers to Gen Soleimani, who was assassinated by a US drone in Baghdad a year ago. | The Iranian tweet refers to Gen Soleimani, who was assassinated by a US drone in Baghdad a year ago. |
Under Soleimani's leadership, Iran had bolstered pro-Iranian militant groups, expanded its military presence in Iraq and Syria and orchestrated Syria's offensive against rebel groups in its long-running civil war. | Under Soleimani's leadership, Iran had bolstered pro-Iranian militant groups, expanded its military presence in Iraq and Syria and orchestrated Syria's offensive against rebel groups in its long-running civil war. |
Gen Soleimani was a popular figure in Iran | Gen Soleimani was a popular figure in Iran |
Mr Trump said at the time the general was "directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people". | Mr Trump said at the time the general was "directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people". |
Iran responded by launching a barrage of missiles at an Iraqi airbase housing US troops and warned of further attacks, with Ayatollah Khamenei saying at the time that "severe revenge awaits the criminals". | Iran responded by launching a barrage of missiles at an Iraqi airbase housing US troops and warned of further attacks, with Ayatollah Khamenei saying at the time that "severe revenge awaits the criminals". |
Twitter banned a tweet from the ayatollah earlier this month that described coronavirus vaccines developed in the UK and the US as "untrustworthy". | Twitter banned a tweet from the ayatollah earlier this month that described coronavirus vaccines developed in the UK and the US as "untrustworthy". |