Iranian diplomacy logs on to banned social media

HYPOCRISY ACCEPTED: Despite the fact that social media is banned in Iran, Iranian officials like Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif see nothing contradictory about being active on social networks themselves.

TEHRAN: They are among the world’s most popular websites and are vital diplomatic channels for Iranian officials involved in the nuclear talks. Yet Twitter, Facebook and YouTube remain banned in Iran. 

While Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif leads the way on social media – his Twitter account has “Verified” blue tick status – he is far from alone in seeing its benefits.