Iran threatens to walk off the pitch at World Cup if diaspora fans protest or wave the old Persian flag

The ultimatum

Iran has formally warned FIFA that its national team will abandon its World Cup matches if spectators stage political protests against the Islamic regime. Sport Minister Ahmad Donjamali confirmed the stance to the Iranian sports outlet Varzesh3, stating the team leadership has been instructed to halt play immediately upon hearing political chants. The Iranian football federation has also repeatedly demanded that only the official flag of the Islamic Republic be permitted inside stadiums.

We have already informed FIFA that the team officials would cancel the match as soon as we hear political slogans in the stadiums.

The old flag

At the centre of the dispute is the pre-revolution Persian flag bearing a lion-and-sun emblem. Monarchist opposition groups have adopted it as a symbol of rejection of the Islamic system, and it regularly appears at protest rallies abroad. Donjamali said the team would also leave the pitch if that flag is displayed. Observers quoted across German-language outlets doubt that a ban on the banner could realistically be enforced inside US venues.

Tehrangeles

Nearly two million Iranians live in the United States, the vast majority of them in Los Angeles — a concentration that has earned the city the nicknames "Tehrangeles" and "Irangeles." Two of Iran's three group-stage fixtures will be played there: against New Zealand on 16 June and against Belgium on 21 June. For many in the diaspora, the tournament offers a global platform to make their opposition to Tehran's leadership visible. The third group match is scheduled for 27 June in Seattle against Egypt.

The US-Iran shadow

Beyond the stadium, the team's participation is overshadowed by the ongoing military conflict between Iran and the United States. Because of entry restrictions, the Iranian federation relocated its team headquarters from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego. Iran's ambassador to Mexico confirmed that the squad is permitted to enter the US only on match days. The tense logistics add another layer of uncertainty to a World Cup campaign already freighted with political risk.

Broader access tensions

The political climate around the tournament was further highlighted by a separate incident involving Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan. A US State Department official told AFP that Artan was denied entry to the United States at Miami airport over alleged links to suspected members of terrorist organisations. Artan, named referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football in 2025, reportedly held a valid visa. Somalia is among the countries covered by a US entry ban. The case, while unrelated to the Iranian team, underscores the charged atmosphere surrounding the World Cup on American soil.