Iran wants US banned from World Cup after team shows solidarity with Iranian protestors

Agencies | Tehran

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

After the United States posted a modified image of the Iranian flag in favour of women's rights in Iran, state-affiliated media in Iran demanded that FIFA ban the country from the World Cup.

The US national football team's official Twitter account published a picture of the World Cup Group B standings but removed the "Allah" symbol and the "takbirs" from Iran's tricolour flag.

The decision was made as widespread demonstrations against Tehran's theocratic leadership continue in Iran.

The USMNT account shared a photo of the team that solely featured the Iranian flag with its red, white, and green colours, devoid of any other representations of the Islamic Republic.

Tasnim News Agency, a state-run media outlet in Iran, noted that this violated FIFA rules.

It was a one-time exhibition, according to the USMNT, and it will restore the emblem going forward.

The USMNT claims the gesture was made to "express support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights."

They wrote on Twitter, alongside a screenshot of the relevant FIFA rule: “According to section 13 of #FIFA rules, any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people ... shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure.”

The state-media outlet added: By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is an appropriate penalty.

Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022.”

Iran’s World Cup campaign has been played against the backdrop of severe unrest and tensions in their home nation.

Upon the Islamic Republic's request, Qatari authorities have been preventing Iranian fans from carrying the "Lion and Sun" flag - which used to be Iran's national flag before the 1979 Islamic Revolution - or the three-coloured flag with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan.