Report: X Sold Premium Accounts to Sanctioned Iranian Officials

Elon Musk might be violating sanctions against Iran with X Premium accounts.

The Tech Transparency Project identified several Iranian government agencies and officials enjoying the perks of X Premium accounts. Normally, Premium requires a paid subscription, which could violate US sanctions. Suspiciously, when Wired flagged some of those accounts to X, they were stripped of their blue checkmarks: > X did not respond to a request for comment, but within hours of WIRED flagging several X accounts belonging to Iranian offici…

Elon Musk’s X Appears to Be Violating US Sanctions by Selling Premium Accounts to Iranian Leaders

While publicly supporting protesters in Iran, Elon Musk’s X appears to have been selling premium accounts to regime officials. Check marks were removed from certain accounts after a WIRED inquiry.

TTP - X Provides Premium Perks to Hezbollah, Other U.S.-Sanctioned Groups

The U.S. imposes sanctions on individuals, groups, and countries deemed to be a threat to national security. Elon Musk’s X appears to be selling premium service to some of them.

X's Premium Account Dilemma: Selling Checkmarks to Iranian Officials

X, formerly Twitter, finds itself amidst controversy as premium verification accounts were sold to Iranian government officials and state‑controlled media, potentially violating OFAC regulations. These officials, subject to U.S. sanctions, had access to X's blue checkmarks through its paid premium service, raising serious legal and financial questions for the platform.

X's Compliance Breakdown Hits Inflection Point as Iran Sanctions Violation Surfaces

WIRED discovers X sold premium verification accounts to Iranian regime officials. Checkmarks removed only after inquiry reveals reactive governance and potential sanctions liability.