Meta removes Facebook, Instagram accounts of Iran’s Khamenei

State of play: "We have removed these accounts for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy," a Meta spokesperson told Axios in an emailed statement.

• The company did not specify how exactly the accounts associated with Khamenei violated the policy, which bars individuals or organizations "that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence" from its platforms.
• This includes entities that glorify, support or represent terrorist organizations that have been designated by the U.S. government.

Of note: Instagram and Facebook are both blocked in Iran, the Meta spokesperson noted.

• Iran's mission to the United Nations, which represents the government at the UN, did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

The big picture: The U.S. designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1997.

• The Biden administration also recently re-designated the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a "global terrorist group"
• Online platforms have faced increased pressure in recent years to remove Khamenei, especially in the wake of the mass protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, AP reported.

Go deeper: U.S. sanctions Iran's morality police over death of woman in custody