Iran will ‘want to retaliate directly’ to Israel says expert
Twitter took steps after an account in the name of Mr Khamanei posted a photo showing former President Donald Trump playing golf in the shadow of a huge drone, with a message warning of imminent revenge. A Twitter spokesman said that the tweet had violated the company's “abusive behavior policy,” adding that the account had violated its “manipulation and spam policy, specifically the creation of fake accounts."
Other accounts linked to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remain active.
The latest development is undoubtedly in response to the assassination by US drone strike last year of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani.
More recently, nuclear scientist Mohen Fakhrizadeh was likewise killed, with Iran blaming Israel.
Underneath the picture posted by Khamenei's account was the comment: "Both the murderers and those who ordered it should know that revenge may come at any time." Mr Trump was not named.
Twitter's decision comes after Tasnim, a state-run news agency, gave a clear indication of the hostility with which the Islamic republic view Mr Trump by tweeting the same image yesterday, the day after Mr Trump was replaced as US President by Joe Biden.
An accompanying message warned: "Revenge is inevitable."
Tasnim's feed has also been blocked.
Tension has grown rapidly between Tehran and Washington after 2018, when Mr Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Tehran retaliated for the killing of Soleimani with missile strikes against U.S. targets in Iraq but the two sides backed away from further confrontation.
High tension and risk of war appeared to subside with the end of Trump's term as his successor President Joe Biden, sworn in on Wednesday, has said Washington seeks to lengthen and strengthen the nuclear constraints on Iran through diplomacy.
An official close to Khamenei's inner circle said: "The aim of the tweet was to remind the gambler Trump that leaving office does not mean he will be safe and the assassination of our martyr Soleimani will be forgotten."
(More to follow)
