In brief
- The Iranian national football team's first match of the FIFA World Cup is against New Zealand.
- Hours after the squad arrived in Los Angeles, a peace deal between the US and Iran was announced.
The Iranian football team has been met by hundreds of anti-regime protesters in the most politically charged match of this year's FIFA World Cup so far.
The Group G opener against New Zealand, which ended in a 2-2 draw, at the Los Angeles Stadium on Tuesday morning (AEST), came just a day after the United States and Iran announced a peace deal to end the war in the Middle East.
Outside the stadium, many waved the Lion and Sun flag, Iran's national flag before the 1979 revolution, which is now associated with the Iranian opposition and banned in Iran. Others also waved Israeli and US flags.
One anti-regime protester heckled Iranian supporters waiting in line to enter the match, giving them the middle finger, grabbing an Iranian flag from a fan in line and stomping on it.
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FIFA banned fans from bringing the pre-revolution flag into World Cup matches, citing its rules prohibiting flags or political apparel.
But numerous people carrying the lion-and-sun flag or wearing t-shirts with the symbol passed through security at the stadium without issue.
Iran had threatened to halt the match if unofficial flags were brought in or slogans were chanted, but the match proceeded as planned.
Assal Pahlevan, an organiser with Democracy for Iran, told SBS News she was protesting the flag ban.
"This is not democracy," she said.
"Any sport, it's volleyball or basketball or football, it doesn't matter which sport is it, you can say whatever you want to say."
Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Iranian diaspora communities in the world, many of whom are descendants of Iranians who fled after the revolution and oppose the Iranian government.
Inside the stadium, the Iranian national anthem was booed, but Iran also enjoyed support from many in the crowd who erupted into cheers when they equalised in the first half.
"I'm here to support Iran. We're going to win this game," said 57-year-old Mehdi Jafari, wearing an Iran football shirt, going into the stadium ahead of the match.
"We're very proud of our country. We're here to support Iran. I think we should all let go of the politics and just go in and cheer on the Team Melli."
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Iranian team arrives hours before ceasefire announced
After months of debate about whether they would participate in the tournament, the Iranian national football team arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, local time, from Tijuana, Mexico, where they had relocated their base camp due to security concerns related to the conflict.
Hours after their arrival, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement to end hostilities between the two countries, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.
Iran's participation in the tournament would have marked the first time in the World Cup's 96-year history that a country played while at war with a host nation.
Iran will have to travel from Mexico to the US for each of their three group matches, with their visas permitting them to remain on US soil for less than 48 hours and requiring them to return to Mexico after each game.
Earlier on Tuesday, Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in the other Group G opener.
Speaking through a translator at a press conference at Los Angeles Stadium, Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei said he was "very happy to be representing the great, proud and strong nation of Iran".
"I hope that football will bring about joy and enjoyment, and bring closer the cultures and countries," he said.
Several Iranian officials have been denied entry, including the national football federation's president, and Ghalenoei said the travel and visa denials had negatively affected the squad.
Hadi, a Socceroos fan who was raised in Iran but moved to Australia as a teenager, and is part of the Hazara community from Afghanistan, told SBS News the peace deal was "good for the world".
"This conflict ... the whole world [is] suffering from that," he said.
"We don't know what's gonna happen in the background, but on the paper it looks like it's good."
— With additional reporting by Reuters news agency and Haylena Krishnamoorthy
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