sport news Iran's footballers sing their national anthem again before USA World Cup game trends now
Iran's footballers sang the national anthem before their game against the United States at the World Cup, after being warned by officials in Tehran they face retribution for their 'insulting' decision not to sing it ahead of the match against England.
An Iranian politician warned their could be punishment if they didn't start singing the anthem for their final two games, against England and the United States.
Medhi Chamran, the chairman of Tehran city council, warned that the country 'will never allow anyone to insult our anthem', reports The Guardian.
They sang the anthem before the Wales game but stood stony-faced as the anthem played at the Khalifa International Stadium last Monday ahead of their 6-2 World Cup defeat to England.
It was viewed as a stand of solidarity with protests currently engulfing Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's morality police on September 16.
The 22-year-old died three days after her arrest in Tehran for allegedly breaching the Islamic dress code for women.
IRan's players sang their national anthem before the game against USA kicked off in Qatar
Iran's footballers have been warned by officials in Tehran they face retribution for their 'insulting' decision not to sing their national anthem ahead of their Qatar World Cup match against England last week (pictured)
The Iranian national squad had stood stony-faced as the anthem played at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday ahead of their 6-2 World Cup defeat to England
But the Iranian national squad may now face retribution for their act of defiance after Chamran said on Tuesday: 'We will never allow anyone to insult our anthem and flag.
'Iranian civilization has a history of several thousand years, this civilization is as old as the total of European and American civilizations.'
A conservative MP in Kurdistan also called for the Iranian football team to be replaced by faithful youngsters who are willing to sing the national anthem, reported the Guardian.
Meanwhile, a senior British politician said the risk to the Iranian players' lives is now 'serious and severe' after they refused to sing the national anthem.
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the UK's Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said Britain should support Iran's international footballers if they seek asylum following their 'very bold and brave political statement'.
Iran's heavily censored media made little mention of the Iranian team not
