Iran is currently playing its match against the United States of America in the final round of the World Cup group stage in Qatar. Iran need at least a point to qualify for the round of 16, and should Wales beat England, they will need a win over their arch-rivals.
Let us recall that the Iranian football team supported the protesters in their country by refusing to sing the national anthem in the match with England, but the pressure on them and their families to silence them is getting stronger. CNN reports that families of football players are being threatened and intimidated.
The source said the representatives were told their families would face “violence and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or join any political protest against the Tehran regime.
The same source, which closely monitors Iranian security agencies operating in Qatar during the World Cup, said dozens of Iranian National Guard police officers have been deployed to monitor Iranian players who are not allowed to socialize outside the team or they meet strangers.
Two days ago, the American Football Association displayed the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran without the coat of arms, arguing that in this way it supports the protests in this country that have been going on for several weeks.
The protests in Iran have been going on since September 16, and yesterday during the training of his team, the long-time Iranian national team player Vuria Ghafouri (35) was arrested, precisely on the charge of spreading propaganda against the state.
