The U.S. men’s soccer team has started posting Iran’s national flag without the Islamic Republic logo on social media amid ongoing protests against the Tehran government, the Associated Press reported.
Team USA’s Twitter account, in several posts, displays the Iranian flag in green, white and red only, without a logo, including a large image that is in the account’s interface (cover photo).
The same could be seen in the posts on the national team’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram, where the scores of the group teams at the World Cup in Qatar appeared.
The absence of a slogan comes at a time when anti-government demonstrations have been taking place in Iran for months to protest the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 at the hands of the “vice police”.
At least 450 people have been killed and more than 18,000 arrested in the protests since they began, according to activists and human rights organizations in Iran.
The US national team will face their Iranian counterpart next Tuesday in the third round of the 2022 World Cup second group competition. The group also includes England and Wales.
The American team did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment, nor did Iranian officials.
U.S. national team coach Greg Berhalter confirmed on Saturday that Politico will not be participating in his country’s fateful match against Iran next Tuesday, AFP reported.
“Football is about meeting so many different people from all over the world and having a shared love for the sport,” Berhalter said at a press conference.
The expected confrontation will be a rematch of the 1998 World Cup match, which Iran won 2-1 in the group stage.
And the US needs to win to qualify for the second round, and Iran may need a draw if it serves as a result of England and Wales to reach the second round for the first time in its history.