Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad takes to Twitter despite ban imposed while he was president

Iran's former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has joined Twitter, despite having been largely responsible for having it banned while in power.

The former president announced his debut, tweeting a video posted on the account on Sunday.

"Follow me at @Ahmadinejad1956. That's me. Peace and love and best wishes," he says in the video, standing next to an Iranian flag.

Commentators online have pointed out there is a certain irony to the former leader's move as Twitter was banned in Iran following the popular protests over his re-election in 2009.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who already has more than 14,000 followers, started his personal Twitter account in January, but it has taken him until March to tweet.

Although Iran blocks Twitter, a number of Iranian political figures use the service, including the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also regularly tweet in Persian and English.

Mr Ahmadinejad was president from 2005 to 2013.

The protests in 2009 - sometimes dubbed the "Twitter Revolution" because of the role the service played in the events - followed Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election and were sparked by accusations of vote rigging.

There have been suggestions recently that the former leader is angling for a return to frontline politics.