An account allegedly belonging to the Iranian military appeared on X following Israel’s decision to bomb the country under operation Rising Lion.
At first glance, the account @IRIran_Military appears legitimate, displaying a blue verified badge and more than 1 million followers.
The posts have wide reach, with some viral ones accumulating over 100 million views. However, on closer inspection, we notice this account and others of its kind have a “Commentary Account” label on their profile.
Remember, we didn’t initiate it.
— Daily Iran Military (@IRIran_Military) June 13, 2025
Clicking the link will take you to a page where X explains that although account usage rules prohibit impersonation or deceiving followers, “Parody, Commentary, and Fan Accounts” are allowed if their purpose is to “discuss, satirize or share information.”
But what about the verified badge? Since the verification system is paid, blue badges are no longer as reliable. For this reason, X created silver and gold badges for organizations to avoid confusion.
The gold badge is for companies or media organizations, and the silver badge is for official government accounts. The appearance of a blue badge now only means a user pays for an X premium subscription.
Photo and video: X @IRIran_Military. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
