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The Iran World Cup team has had to deal with a lot of pressure and distractions off of the field during the World Cup in Qatar.
And now, according to a report from CNN’s Sam Kiley, Iran is threatening the families of players with “violence and torture” if they do not “behave” ahead of Tuesday’s match against the United States.
The players are being urged to
The Iranian team did not sing along with the national anthem in its World Cup opener against England to show solidarity with protesters in the country. Against Wales on Friday, the team sang along after the first reports of threats emerged.
From the report:
The source said that they were told that their families would face “violence and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or if they joined any political protest against the Tehran regime.
The players, the source said, had been promised “presents and cars” ahead of the England game but the regime, the source alleged, had switched to threatening players and their families after the humiliation of the team’s refusal to sing their national anthem.
The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being taken into police custody for improperly wearing her headscarf.
Kiley notes that Iran coach Carlos Queiroz met with Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers after the threats, but details of the meeting were not reported. In addition, a “large number” of security are reportedly keeping an eye on members of the national team to monitor how the players are acting while in Qatar.
Iranian players are not allowed to mingle outside the squad or meet with foreigners.
Kickoff between Iran and the USMNT at Al Thumama Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m. ET.
