U.S. State Department Tweets In Farsi

Anti-government protesters in Egypt

The U.S. State Department started sending Twitter messages in Farsi aimed at reaching Iranian social media users on February 13.

The first tweet on the Twitter account -- USA darFarsi -- said "We want to join in your conversation."

A later State Department tweet said, "By announcing that they will not give permission for its opponents to demonstrate (march), the government of Iran is showing that the very activities that it praised for Egyptians it sees as illegal and illegitimate for its own people."

Another tweet said, "The U.S. calls on the government of Iran to allow its own people to enjoy the same universal rights to peacefully assemble, demonstrate and communicate that are being exercised in Cairo."

The Farsi Twitter account reportedly had 60 followers within two hours of its launch.

compiled from agency reports