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Iran’s national soccer team sang the Islamic Republic’s national anthem before a Tuesday match against the United States, following threats from the hardline regime to imprison and torture the players’ families.
The Iranian athletes have been in the international spotlight as much for their off-field behavior as for their on-field play. During the team’s first game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the players stood silent as their country’s national anthem played, a gesture meant to signal support for protesters at home who have been organizing against the hardline regime for more than two months.
While Iranian regime officials attempted to downplay the incident and stop viewers in the country from seeing the silent protest, they have resorted to threats of violence—a tactic they have employed against protesters who have taken to the streets across the country.
