Ahead of a crucial Group B match between Iran and the United States at the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, Iran has demanded for a 10-game suspension for the US for “offending the dignity” of their country. The Islamic nation is enraged at the US Soccer Federation (USSF) for displaying Iran's national flag on social media, albeit briefly, without the emblem on Saturday.
In a statement on Sunday, the USSF said it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights,” reported news agency AP.
The Twitter account of the US men's team displayed a banner with the squad's matches in the group stage that showed the Iranian flag with only green, white and red colours. The same was depicted in its Facebook and Instagram accounts, showcasing the points so far in its group.
However, the normal flag with the emblem was restored in the Twitter banner and Facebook and Instagram posts by Sunday afternoon. “We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours,” the federation said, as per the report.
US Removed God's Name From Our Flag: Iran
The Iranian government accused America of removing the name of God from its national flag.
On Sunday, US Soccer informed CNN that it had always intended to return to the original flag after changing it for a 24-hour period to demonstrate "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights".
In retaliation, the Islamic Republic of Iran's football federation filed a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee accusing the US of insulting the Iranian flag and demanded a 10-game suspension, The Guardian report cited the semi-official Tasnim news agency, that further attributed it to a legal adviser at the Iranian football federation.
“According to section 13 of FIFA rules, any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people shall be sanctioned with a suspension, lasting at least 10 matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure”.
The flag, designed in 1980, has four curves with a sword between them to represent the Islamic saying: “There is no God but Allah.”
Iran has been facing nationwide protests after a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody for not wearing her headscarf properly.