While the global sporting community tries to pretend that politics and sports don't mix, Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles are making it clear that they won't be silenced by the optics of a soccer match.
Protesters gathered outside the venue to demand an end to the clerical regime in Tehran, specifically targeting the national team for its perceived ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The regime has long used state-sponsored athletics to project a veneer of normalcy while its military arm, the IRGC, continues to destabilize the region and oppress its own people. Predictably, Iran striker Mehdi Taremi attempted to deflect from these legitimate grievances, claiming that political tension 'undermines the joy' of the tournament.
But for those who know the true nature of the regime, the 'joy' of the game is a hollow distraction from the reality of a state-sponsored terror apparatus. These protesters understand that you cannot separate a regime's sports team from the blood-soaked hands of its leadership.
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