FIFA World Cup 2022: Here’s Why Iran Wants the USA to Be Kicked out of Qatar Tournament

The face-off between the United States and Iran at the World Cup in Qatar became more interesting as Iran called on FIFA to suspend the U.S.

Ahead of their pivotal Group B match on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) displayed Iran's national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic while promoting the game on social media.

The federation said the move supported protesters in Iran. However, this did not go well with the country's government. According to Fox News, the Iranian government accused the United States of removing the name of God from its national flag.

USMNT and Iranian Players Expressing Solidarity With Protesters

The Associated Press reported that the USSF briefly displayed the national flag of Iran without the emblem of the Islamic Republic on social media to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights."

The federation noted that they "wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours." The group's spokesman, Neil Buethe, told the AP that the decision was made within the federation but did not mention whether USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone knew about it or not.

Buethe maintained that this was a decision within the federation but added that he would not "going to get into who knew and who didn't."

The USSF also displayed the official Iranian flag in an image showing Group B standings on its website. But the normal flag of Iran with the emblem had been restored in the Twitter banner and Facebook and Instagram posts by Sunday afternoon. Images with the altered flag have been removed.

The U.S. players were reportedly unaware of the posts. United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) defender Walker Zimmerman noted that even though they knew nothing about the posts, they still supported women's rights.

He said they will be focused on their match against Iran, but at the same time, they also "empathize, and we are firm believers in women's rights and support them."

Iranian players themselves joined in condemning their government and showing solidarity with the protesters. They stayed silent during their match against England as their national anthem played.

Iran Protesting USSF Decision About Their Flag

Iran's response to the Americans' move was to file a complaint to FIFA's ethics committee. According to The Guardian, the Iranians claimed that the United States disrespected the national flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The country's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that a legal adviser told them the U.S. violated Section 13 of FIFA rules, which said that "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 10 matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure."

The Iranian flag has been the most notable point of contention during the World Cup, as Iranians opposing the regime often wave the lion and sun flag, which was the emblem of its former ruler, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The protests in Iran since the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who the country's morality police had detained, have become a flashpoint in the country's political issues.

According to reports, the monthslong demonstrations in Iran have seen at least 450 killed and over 18,000 arrested. The U.S., along with Mexico and Canada, will be hosting the next World Cup in 2026.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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