Clashes between Iranian fans before Wales game

Iran's governmental turmoil appeared to overshadow the nationalist team's 2nd lucifer astatine the World Cup, arsenic pro-government fans harassed anti-government supporters extracurricular the stadium successful Qatar earlier their clash with Wales connected Friday.

Some Iran fans confiscated Persian pre-revolutionary Iranian flags from supporters entering the stadium and shouted insults astatine those wearing shirts with the slogan of the country's protestation movement: "Woman, Life, Freedom."

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Iran's players sang during the playing of their nationalist anthem, contempt not singing successful their opening crippled earlier this week successful an evident amusement of enactment for protesters backmost home.

Loud jeers were heard from Iranian supporters arsenic the anthem played, with the squad singing softly arsenic it played.

Iranian authorities person responded with deadly unit to suppress protests which erupted aft the decease of Mahsa Amini successful September pursuing her apprehension for wearing a headscarf incorrectly.

Small groups of men angrily chanted "The Islamic Republic of Iran" astatine women giving interviews astir the protests to overseas media.

Many pistillate fans were visibly shaken arsenic Iranian authorities supporters surrounded them with nationalist flags and filmed them connected their phones.

Shouting matches erupted extracurricular the information checkpoint astatine the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium successful Al Rayyan betwixt fans screaming "Women, Life, Freedom" and others shouting backmost "The Islamic Republic."

Some anti-government fans waved signs successful enactment of the protestation question astatine Iran's archetypal lucifer against England earlier this week, which they mislaid 6-2.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.