Iran calls for US to be kicked out of 2022 World Cup after it changes Iran flag on social media to show support for protesters - CNN

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A elephantine  emblem  of IR Iran connected  the transportation   anterior  to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B lucifer  betwixt  Wales and Iran astatine  Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium connected  November 25, 2022 successful  Doha, Qatar.

CNN  — 

Iran authorities media has called for the US to beryllium kicked retired of the 2022 World Cup aft the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s emblem connected its societal media platforms to amusement enactment for protesters successful Iran.

The federation had temporarily displayed Iran’s nationalist emblem connected its authoritative Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted connected Saturday displayed the Iranian emblem lone bearing its green, achromatic and reddish colors.

US Soccer told CNN connected Sunday that it wanted to alteration the authoritative emblem for 24 hours to amusement “support for the women successful Iran warring for basal quality rights” but ever planned to spell backmost to the archetypal flag.

A US shot    federation screenshot displaying Iran's nationalist  emblem  connected  societal  media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.

The alteration “was a one-time graphic,” US Soccer told CNN. “We person the main emblem connected our website and different places.” The emblem is currently backmost connected the flag connected US Soccer’s societal media channels.

A spokesperson for the State Department told CNN it did not coordinate with US Soccer successful the sporting body’s determination to alteration Iran’s emblem connected its societal media accounts to amusement enactment for protesters successful Iran.

“We look guardant to a peaceful and competitory lucifer connected the field. The United States continues to find ways to enactment the Iranian radical successful the look of state-sponsored unit against women and a brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors,” the State Department told CNN.

Iran authorities media reported Sunday that the United States should beryllium instantly kicked retired of the tourney and suspended for 10 games for a “distorted image” of the country’s flag.

“By posting a distorted representation of the emblem of the Islamic Republic of #Iran connected its authoritative account, the #US shot squad breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the due penalty,” Iran state-aligned Tasnim quality bureau wrote connected Twitter connected Sunday. “Team #USA should beryllium kicked retired of the #WorldCup2022.”

FIFA did not instantly respond to CNN’s petition for comment.

Iran and the US play each different connected Tuesday successful a important Group B match. It is simply a must-win necktie for the US if it is to advancement to the knockout stages.

Iran is appearing astatine this World Cup nether the shadiness of home turmoil. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has said that the state is successful a “full-fledged quality rights crisis” arsenic authorities clamp down connected anti-regime dissidents.

Protests, referred to by experts arsenic the astir important since the constitution of clerical regularisation pursuing the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and unit person rocked Iran successful caller months and threatened the precise quality of the country’s regime, which has been successful powerfulness for much than 40 years.

It was sparked by the decease of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old pistillate who died aft being detained by Iran’s morality police, allegedly for not abiding by the country’s blimpish formal code. Iranian information forces person unleashed a convulsive response.

The latest contention comes aft a time of issues up of the 2 teams’ Group B clash successful Doha astatine the Al Thumama Stadium.

US Soccer’s determination came connected the aforesaid time the erstwhile US Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) caput manager Jurgen Klinsmann said helium volition effort to talk with Iran’s manager, Carlos Queiroz, to “calm things down” aft Klinsmann’s comments astir Iran’s civilization were branded “outrageous remarks.”

Following Iran’s 2-0 triumph implicit Wales connected Friday, Klinsmann discussed Iran’s cognition toward the crippled of soccer, led by Queiroz, during a sheet treatment connected the BBC.

“That’s their civilization and that’s their mode of doing it and that’s wherefore Carlos Queiroz, helium fits truly good successful the Iranian nationalist team,” Klinsmann said. “He struggled successful South America. He failed with Colombia to suffice past helium failed with Egypt to suffice arsenic good and past helium went backmost close earlier the World Cup present and guided Iran wherever helium worked already for a long, agelong time.

“This is not by coincidence. This is each purposely. This is conscionable portion of their culture. That’s however they play it and they enactment the referee. You saw the seat ever jumping off, ever moving the fourth, the linesmen and the 4th referee connected the sideline, perpetually successful their ears. They’re perpetually successful your look connected the field.”

The 1990 World Cup victor continued: “This is their civilization and they benignant of marque you suffer your absorption and marque you suffer your attraction and what’s truly important to you.”

On Saturday, Queiroz responded to Klinsmann successful a bid of tweets.

“Even not knowing maine personally, you question my quality with a emblematic prejudiced judgement of superiority,” Queiroz wrote. “No substance however overmuch I tin respect what you did wrong the pitch, those remarks astir Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my Players are a disgrace to Football. Nobody tin wounded our integrity if it is not astatine our level, of course.”

Queiroz added: “As American/German, we recognize your nary support. No problem. And contempt your outrageous remarks connected BBC trying to undermine our efforts, sacrifices and skills, we committedness you that we volition not nutrient immoderate judgments regarding your culture, roots and inheritance and that you volition ever beryllium invited to our Family.”

The Iran Football Federation, successful a statement, demanded Klinsmann apologize and resign from his Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group presumption with FIFA. Iran said it has asked FIFA “for contiguous clarification connected this matter.”

CNN has reached retired to FIFA for remark but did not get a effect astatine clip of publication.

On Sunday, Klinsmann said connected BBC Breakfast: “There was worldly truly taken retired of context. I volition effort to springiness him a telephone and calm things down. I person ne'er criticized Carlos oregon the Iranian bench. Some adjacent thought I was criticizing the referee due to the fact that helium didn’t bash thing astir the mode they were behaving connected the bench.

“All I described was their affectional mode of doing things, which is really admirable successful a definite way. The full seat lives the game. They’re jumping up and down and Carlos is simply a precise affectional coach. He’s perpetually connected the sidelines trying to springiness his players each his vigor and direction.”

The federation invited Klinsmann to sojourn Team Melli Camp successful Doha and “for a lecture connected the millennial Persian civilization and the values of shot and sport.”

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