A public exchange unfolded on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, drawing international attention to the role of digital platforms in political discourse.

According to reports, Musk responded to posts from Khamenei’s official account that praised Hezbollah and criticized Israel. Community notes added by X users challenged the accuracy of the statements, highlighting recent military developments in Lebanon. 

Musk publicly endorsed these corrections, describing them as “hall-of-famer” examples of the platform’s fact-checking feature.

The incident sparked a wider debate about freedom of expression, misinformation, and the responsibilities of social media companies. Critics argued that granting verified status to Khamenei’s account, despite its controversial content, risks legitimizing state sponsored narratives. Supporters of Musk’s intervention, however, viewed his remarks as a defense of transparency and accountability in online communication.

This is not the first time Musk’s activity on X has intersected with sensitive political issues. A previous cryptic post by Musk a single dot was widely compared to the case of Iranian writer Hossein Shanbehzadeh, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a similar online gesture directed at Khamenei’s account. The juxtaposition underscored stark differences in how online expression is treated in Western contexts versus Iran.