Musk’s X accused of selling premium blue checks to sanctioned Iranian officials, revokes some after media scrutiny

Under U.S. sanctions law, American companies are generally prohibited from providing goods or paid services to sanctioned individuals without authorization.

By Shmuli Volkin, Jewish Breaking News

A WIRED investigation reports that Elon Musk’s X sold paid “X Premium” subscriptions to accounts linked to senior Iranian regime figures, including Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, senior regime insider Ali Larijani, and Iran’s foreign minister.

Several of these figures have been subject to U.S. or international sanctions over their roles in Iran’s judiciary, security establishment, and foreign policy apparatus.

Mohseni-Ejei heads Iran’s judiciary, a system widely criticized for prosecuting dissidents, journalists, and protesters.

Larijani, a former parliament speaker and longtime adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has held key national security roles for decades.

The foreign minister serves as the diplomatic face of a regime designated by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism, representing Tehran in nuclear negotiations and regional power plays.

Under U.S. sanctions law, American companies are generally prohibited from providing goods or paid services to sanctioned individuals without authorization.

While general licenses allow tech platforms to offer communication tools to ordinary Iranians, legal experts cited in the report argue that selling premium features—such as verification badges, algorithmic amplification, and monetization options—to sanctioned officials may exceed those exemptions.

After being reached out for comment, several of the officials’ blue checkmarks were reportedly removed.

The move has raised questions about X’s internal compliance controls and whether other sanctioned regime figures may still hold paid status on the platform.

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