Instagram social media platform has blocked pages that belonged to Iran’s Islamic Revolution guard Corps (IRGC) and Qassem Soleimani the commander of its Qods force, following the U.S. designation of the force as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization”, FTO.
On Monday, April 15, IRGC was officially listed as an FTO.
Other accounts blocked belonged to several IRGC high-ranking officiers, such as Gen. Mohammad Hossein Baqeri Gen. Mohammad ALi Jafari, top commander and Gen. Haj Saeed Qassemi.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told Fox News in answer to a question whether Soleimani is equal to ISIS leader Abubakar al-Baghdadi, “Yes, he is a terrorist”.
The United States says that the IRGC is the vehicle the Islamic Republic uses IRGC to interfere in regional countries and support militant groups around the world.
Israel and European countries and some Latin American states have also raised concern over IRGC role in the region and beyond.
Soleimani’s Instagram page has been blocked several times in the past because of its content violating the company’s rules.
