California Pilot Under Scrutiny Over Alleged Pro-Terrorist Social Media Posts

Israel’s Transportation Ministry has told United Airlines that a Los Angeles-based pilot, Sina Amjadian, will be denied entry after Israeli authorities reviewed social media posts they interpreted as sympathetic to Iran and Hezbollah. The Jerusalem Post reported that the decision followed a check of his Instagram and related accounts. His bio identified him as “Persian made” and listed Los Angeles International Airport as his base, with a heart beside “IKA,” the Tehran airport code for Imam Khomeini International Airport. Authorities focused on posts including images of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Islamic Republic flags, criticism of Israeli strikes, and videos that reportedly showed saluting Iran’s ruling emblem. A spokesperson said details were forwarded to aviation security to prevent him from joining an aircraft crew, and intelligence and defense agencies recommended barring him. United said Amjadian was not currently operating flights and has been on leave since 2024.