By Chris Summers
Contributing Writer
Iranian Americans protested against the regime in Tehran as the Iranian soccer team arrived in Los Angeles for its first World Cup match against New Zealand on Monday.
As the team arrived at the Los Angeles Galaxy’s training ground in Carson, a small group of Iranian Americans shouted, “Down with terrorists!”
The protesters were holding the pre-1979 Iranian flag — emblazoned with a lion and a sun — which is widely used by the Iranian opposition, and some of them also held the flags of the United States and Israel.
FIFA has banned the lion-and-sun standard under a rule that forbids the flying of political flags or banners inside stadiums during the World Cup.
The match against New Zealand takes place as Iran and the United States seek to finalize a deal to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28, when U.S. President Donald Trump launched Operation Epic Fury.
Mojgan Ramezani, 56, an Iranian American at a rally outside the stadium in Inglewood, which will host the match, said, “They’re holding hostage their own people.”
Pictures of athletes who allegedly died in custody after being arrested by the Iranian regime lined a nearby street corner during a rally organized by the local Iranian American community.
One of the protesters, 70-year-old Hassan Haddadi, said he was frustrated that there had been no regime change in Iran.
“We’re hoping to bring awareness to the Western world, to somehow do something beyond just condemning, to bring an end to this regime,” Haddadi said.
Players ‘Not Political People’
The Iranian team’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, said he and his players were “not political people.”
The Iranian team captain, Mehdi Taremi, said they were at the World Cup to bring joy to all Iranians and the millions in the diaspora.
“People have different opinions, but we are here to unite people, and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians wherever they live,” Taremi said at a press conference on Sunday. “We are here to bring joy to Iranian people. We do not get involved in politics. We are here to play football.”
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that the Iranian team — which is based in Tijuana, Mexico — would be allowed to arrive in the United States on the day before their matches.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran — it is sometimes dubbed “Tehrangeles” — and there are plans for a rally against the Tehran regime outside the stadium in Inglewood before the match.
During the initial group stage of the World Cup, 12 groups of four teams will each play three matches in a round-robin format for a chance to advance to the later stages of competition.
Iran is in Group G, along with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
Belgium is ranked 10th in the world by FIFA, while Iran is ranked 20th, above Egypt (29th) and New Zealand (85th).
Iran is the favorite to beat New Zealand, whose team includes Tim Payne, a defender whose Instagram following went from 5,000 to 5.7 million after influencer Valen Scarsini encouraged people to make Payne famous.
All three of Iran’s group stage matches are taking place in the United States.
Iran plays Belgium on June 21, again in Los Angeles, and then travels to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
