Asked about the foreign accounts attacking Taeb, Saslaw, a 79-year-old who spent over $1 million to defend his seat, interjected to say he didn’t understand social media.

“I don’t even know how to use a Twitter or Facebook,” he said. “I don’t even know what the f--- they are.”

Taeb said the many staffers for Saslaw certainly saw the thousands of tweets directed at her by pro-MEK accounts and should have understood exactly who was assisting him.

An email sent to the address listed on the website of the Iranian American Community of Virginia was returned “undeliverable” and the organization does not have a public phone number.

Shirin Nariman of Vienna, a representative of the group, wrote a column about the movement for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2017. Reached by phone, she said the movement wants “regime change” in Iran because of its human rights violations but believes that can be done through sanctions.

“We are not supporting war,” she said. “For the first time in 40 years, America’s policy has become to put pressure on Iran, and that’s what we like.”