OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:02 AM PT – Tuesday, November 29, 2022
The Iranian regime threatened to torture the families of World Cup players if they fail to ”behave” during their match against the United States.
On Monday, Iranian players met with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. During their discussion, they were warned that their families would face “violence and torture” if they refused to sing the national anthem or if they engaged in any political protest against Iran.
This comes after the players refrained from singing the anthem during their opening match against England amidst the ongoing anti-government protest in Iran.
The death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while she was detained by the country’s morality police, sparked the protests. Amini was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely.
In a press conference, Iranian captain Ehsan Hajsafi, expressed sympathy for those who have lost loved ones as a result of the country’s unrest.
While the team did sing the anthem during their match against Wales, the players are now under the scrutiny of Iranian Security Forces in Qatar, who are barring the team from speaking with anyone outside of the squad.