WANA (Jun 11) – While the global “Give Israel the Red Card” campaign has been launched in 23 countries and 85 stadiums worldwide to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, something quite different happened last night in Tehran. During the World Cup qualifier between  Iran and North Korea at the iconic Azadi Stadium, Palestinian flags were forcibly removed from the stands by Iran’s special forces.

 

Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, football fans across Europe and beyond have launched a series of grassroots protests against the Israeli regime.

 

Celtic supporters in Scotland were among the first to take the lead. During last season’s Champions League match against Atlético Madrid, they filled the stadium with Palestinian flags in a powerful show of solidarity. Although UEFA fined the club $19,000 for the incident, the fans responded by launching a campaign that raised over $150,000—covering the fine and donating the rest to aid efforts in Gaza.

Celtic supporters in Scotland / WANA News Agency

Celtic supporters in Scotland / WANA News Agency

Today, standing with Palestine has become a moral responsibility across the sports world. Even Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, stated: “What we are seeing in Gaza is deeply painful. It hurts my soul.”

 

While respecting regulations is important, blindly enforcing rules without considering the core principles the Islamic Republic of Iran has long claimed to uphold not only creates a contradiction but also sends an unfortunate message to the public.

Support for Palestine Banned in Iran’s Iconic Stadium / WANA News Agency

Support for Palestine Banned in Iran’s Iconic Stadium / WANA News Agency

The Iranian Football Federation’s swift compliance with a single warning from a FIFA observer raises concerns: is this part of a broader attempt to secularize and politically neutralize Iranian football when it comes to global humanitarian crises?

 

At a time when non-Muslim fans in Scotland, England, Italy, the United States, and France are willing to take a stand—and bear the costs—for the people of Gaza, Iran’s football authorities chose to retreat. And all it took was a warning.