Soccer-Followers brace for politically charged U.S.-Iran match at World Cup By Reuters

By Maya Gebeily and Charlotte Bruneau

DOHA (Reuters) -Diplomatic foes the US and Iran face off on the pitch on the World Cup on Tuesday in a match that some Iranians concern may even see additional run-ins with stadium safety or clashes with pro-government followers over raging protests again dwelling.

The competition between the 2 nations that severed ties over 40 years in the past might be held with elevated safety to stop a flare up of tensions over the unrest that has gripped Iran for the reason that dying in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16.

In a present of solidarity forward of the match, which begins at 1900 GMT, the U.S. Soccer Federation quickly displayed Iran’s nationwide flag with out the symbol of the Islamic Republic, main Tehran to complain to FIFA, based on state media.

Qatar, which has sturdy ties with Washington and pleasant relations with Tehran, has staked its fame on delivering a easy World Cup, beefing up safety at Iran video games and banning some gadgets deemed inflammatory, like Iran’s pre-Revolution flag.

Iran’s prime nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani arrived in Doha on Tuesday on an invite from Qatar, state information company IRNA reported with out mentioning if he would attend the match.

U.S.-Iranian ties have been particularly strained since then-President Donald Trump deserted Tehran’s nuclear cope with world powers. Efforts to salvage the pact below President Joe Biden’s administration have stalled.

Politics have spilled into the World Cup, the primary to be held in a Center East nation.

Safety groups deployed on Friday when Iran beat Wales to “break up a small variety of altercations” between Iranian followers exterior the stadium, a Qatari official stated, including the incidents had been dealt with “swiftly” to include tensions.

“I cannot attend the sport on Tuesday since I don’t really feel secure in Qatar,” stated Iranian-Canadian Azi, declining to present her final identify and who was sporting a T-shirt declaring ‘Girls, Life, Freedom’ – a slogan of the Iran protests.

“Qatar is conducting the identical censorship system as what’s going on in Iran … Additionally FIFA is to take the blame,” she instructed Reuters about being stopped by stadium safety for her apparel.

Hila Yadegar, 37, plans to be on the match to point out assist for protesters though she and her husband had been each briefly held by stadium guards on the Iran-Wales match and regardless of voicing comparable unease over safety in Qatar.

“I put a chair behind our room within the lodge though it was locked,” stated Yadegar, who works in a hospital in Canada.

IRAN TEAM FACES PRESSURE

The Qatar official, when requested about safety issues and complaints over restrictions, stated authorities would guarantee all matches are “secure and welcoming for all spectators”.

Objects that “may improve tensions and threat the security of followers” wouldn’t be permitted at stadiums, the official stated.

Gulf Arab monarchies, together with Qatar, don’t tolerate home dissent and protests are uncommon within the area.

Beneath strain to publicly assist protesters at dwelling, the Iran group declined to sing the nationwide anthem of their first recreation towards England, which they misplaced 6-2. However they sang the anthem forward of their second match, a 2-0 win over Wales.

After Friday’s victory an Iranian fan in a T-shirt with a picture of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani – a prime Iranian basic killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2020 – chanted over followers voicing assist for protesters.

The unrest in Iran poses one of many boldest challenges to the theocracy for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution. Washington has imposed sanctions on Iranian officers over the lethal crackdown on protests.

America and Iran severed formal relations in 1980 after the Revolution and ties had been hostile when their soccer groups clashed within the 1998 World Cup. Iran emerged with a 2-1 victory in a recreation dubbed the “mom of all soccer matches”.