December 18, 2012 - 2:55 AM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. State Department says it will keep tabs on a Facebook page purportedly created by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that includes both positive and derogatory remarks from followers.
Iranian officials had no immediate comment, but the page's contents and style — including an informal photo of Khamenei riding in a car — raise serious questions about its authenticity.
Iranian web monitors block access to Facebook and other Western social media sites, and it's highly unlikely Khamenei would endorse a banned outlet.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday that U.S. officials will look into the site, joking that Washington is curious how many "likes" Khamenei receives.
The Net is not unknown territory for Iranian leaders, however.
Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others have official websites.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012