Pro-Soleimani posts removed from Instagram after US sanctions

Amid the tensions between the US and Iran over the killing of the Chief of Quds Force Qassem Soleimani, reports stated that Instagram and its parent company Facebook are now taking down all the posts supporting Soleimani to comply with the US sanctions as per the law. 

Taking to Twitter, Iran's government spokesperson Ali Rabiei called Instagram's actions 'undemocratic' and 'unashamed'. 

Read: Mike Pompeo: Qassem Soleimani wasn't in Baghdad on 'peace mission'

Iranian govt calls for nationwide legal action

According to reports, just after Instagram started taking down pro-Soleimani posts, the government of Iran staged a protest and called for nationwide legal action against Instagram. 

In April last year, Instagram had shut down Soleimani's account after the US government designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization. Soleimani was one of the top commanders of IRGC. 

Read: Ukraine President speaks to Iran counterpart Rouhani about downed jet; reads him riot act

Tensions between Iran and the US

The long-standing tensions between Iran and the US escalated after the US on January 3, hit Baghdad International Airport, following which deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iran's Quds Commander General Qassem Soleimani were killed.

After the killing, Iran threatened the US with "harsh retaliation." Soon, two airstrikes were reported near the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone. After the second attack at the Green Zone, Donald Trump threatened to strike 52 Iranian sites in the Islamic Republic if any Americans were harmed. 

Read: US teenager saved from seizure after fellow gamer calls ambulance from 5,000 miles away

Read: Trump justifies Soleimani’s killing again, says he was targeting four US embassies