November 22, 2024

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Iranians face punishment after losing to the United States in the World Cup: experts

Iranians face punishment after losing to the United States in the World Cup: experts

Iran’s national soccer team faces retaliation in the Islamic Republic after failing in Tuesday’s clash against the United States, experts told The Post.

Former CIA covert operations officer Mike Baker said Iranian players are stuck in an “untenable situation” after Very interesting match against the United Stateswhich defeated Iran 1-0 to advance to the round of sixteen.

“Given what we’ve seen from the Iranian regime … they’ve shown themselves to be brutal and there’s no reason to think they’ll suddenly become rational,” Baker said.

In their opening match against England last week, Iran’s players refused to sing their national anthem in apparent protest The death of Mohsa Amini, 22 years oldwho was allegedly beaten into police custody for failing to wear a headscarf properly in September.

Baker said that although Iran’s players sang their national anthem on Tuesday, a victory over the United States would have helped mitigate their previous transgression.

After Iranian soccer players failed to sing their national anthem before facing England at the World Cup last week, their families were reportedly threatened with imprisonment and torture if the team failed to “behave” in Tuesday’s match.
AP
US striker Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal against Iran on Tuesday, forcing the Islamic Republic out of the World Cup.
US striker Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal against Iran on Tuesday, forcing the Islamic Republic out of the World Cup.
Reuters

“The regime was going to use it for its own purposes,” Baker told the newspaper. “They would spend all of their focus on victory, defeating the ‘Great Satan’ or whatever clever phrases they came up with.”

on Monday, CNN reported that the families of the Iranian national team were threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players failed to “behave” before their match against the United States. The report added that the Iranian players were forced to meet with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard after demonstrating before the England match.

Protests have broken out across Iran since Amini's 22-year-old lawyer was arrested for failing to wear a headscarf properly and died in police custody in September.
Protests have broken out across Iran since Amini’s 22-year-old lawyer was arrested for failing to wear a headscarf properly and died in police custody in September.
Getty Images
Iran's match against the United States began with a sporting handshake despite threats to the players and unrest in their country.
Iran’s match against the United States began with a sporting handshake despite threats to the players and unrest in their country.
Reuters

Elnaz Rekoi, an Iranian rock climber, is said to be under house arrest in her home country for competing abroad in October without a mandatory veil — which many saw as a gesture of support for Amini. Rekabi, 33, was threatened with seizing her family’s property unless she made a “forced apology”, Based on the reports.

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Now, the Iranian team could face fines or even arrest in the wake of Tuesday’s defeat once they get home — as revenge for their disloyalty and failure to defeat the enemy, Al-Baker said.

Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekoi is reportedly under house arrest to compete abroad without wearing the mandatory headscarf.
Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekoi is reportedly under house arrest to compete abroad without wearing the mandatory headscarf.
International Sports Federation

“There is nothing good if you are an Iranian player when you come home,” he added.

The Iranian players have experienced an “enormous amount of pressure” ahead of the game, including criticism from protesters in Iran who believe they haven’t been vocal enough against the system, according to Baker, who now works as an executive at Portman Square Group Worldwide. intelligence company.

Experts say Iran's soccer team is in
Experts told The Washington Post that Iran’s soccer team was in an “untenable position” going into the match against the United States.
Reuters

Iran has seen angry anti-government protests since Amini’s death. As of Monday, 451 demonstrators had been killed during clashes with the authorities, including 64 children. According to the nonprofit group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Iran’s ruling clerics are uniquely focused on ending the rampant unrest that has raged in 157 cities across the country since mid-September.

Baker said Iranian players could withdraw to other countries, although that is unlikely because leaving relatives would be particularly difficult.

One expert told the newspaper that some protesters in Iran have criticized footballers for not speaking out enough to support their cause.
One expert told the newspaper that some protesters in Iran have criticized footballers for not speaking out enough to support their cause.
AFP via Getty Images
Rights activists in Iran, a non-profit organization, estimate that 451 protesters have been killed since Monday in clashes with authorities.
Rights activists in Iran, a non-profit organization, estimate that 451 protesters have been killed since Monday in clashes with authorities.
AFP via Getty Images

“It’s hard to put ourselves in this position,” he continued. “You’re putting your family and friends at risk when you do that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of players were thinking about it.”

Kenneth R. Timmerman, an author and expert on Iran, said the fate of the Iranian players had already been decided before Tuesday’s game, “because they had already committed that sin” of not singing the national anthem.

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“I would be afraid of arrest,” Timmerman said. “Even if they had won, they would have been arrested, beaten hard, and warned, ‘Never do this again.'”

Iran expert Kenneth R.  Timmerman said he feared the team would be arrested for disrespecting their country when they returned home.
Iran expert Kenneth R. Timmerman said he feared the team would be arrested for disrespecting their country when they returned home.
stock struggle

Fatemeh Aman, a fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank, said she didn’t think the Iranian team would face any kind of punishment after Tuesday’s loss. That might be different if one or two players refuse to sing the national anthem before the US game, but she believes the team’s unity, all singing together, will protect them.

“You can’t arrest the whole squad at the same time, you can’t do that,” said Aman.

However, if any one player is deemed a supporter of the demonstrations in Iran, they could see their passport confiscated or face possible fines, according to Aman.

“I think the Iranians feel sorry for them,” Aman said of the national team. “They’re in a really difficult situation, a really bad situation.”