Iran’s football team left a handwritten letter in their World Cup dressing room after a draw with Belgium paying tribute to the 168 people – mostly children – killed in a US airstrike
The Iran football team left a handwritten letter in their World Cup changing room paying tribute to the children killed by America in an airstrike on schoolchildren.
Iran clinched a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Belgium in their penultimate group fixture, which gives them an opportunity of progressing to the knockout rounds, despite their national anthem being booed by sections of the crowd at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before the game. The encounter unfolded against a backdrop of heightened tensions, with President Donald Trump warning he would “hit Iran very hard again” in the ongoing conflict.
This Truth Social message emerged as Iran once more shut down the Strait of Hormuz, having accused the US and Israel of breaching their ceasefire agreement. Following the Iranian’s draw with the Belgians, after previously drawing with New Zealand, a handwritten message was uncovered in their changing room. It made reference to the 168 victims, predominantly children, who were killed in a US airstrike on a school in Minab, shortly after USA and Israel’s war on Iran began in February.
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The letter read: “From the ancient Persia thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast. We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity. Thank you, Los Angeles, for your hospitality.
“And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes [the two games Iran played in LA]. May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations.” The letter also featuring the hashtags “#168” and “#Minab” in tribute to the victims of the attack.
It’s the second occasion the Iranian players have honoured the 168 individuals who were killed in the air strike, reports the Mirror. Upon their World Cup arrival, each squad member sported a pin bearing “#168” on their blazers.
UN experts expressed their grief after a girls’ primary school in Minab, in Iran’ Hormozgan province, was struck by the US airstrike on February 28. They said: “A strike on a school represents a grave assault on children, on education, and on the future of an entire community. There is no excuse for killing girls in a classroom.”
Before the match against Belgium, Markwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, alleged somebody pretending to be Iran’s Football Federation president Mehdi Taj, who had “direct ties” with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), trued to board a plane to Los Angeles with the team, before they were stopped.
The Iranian Football Association (FFIRI) branded this allegation as “falsehoods” and a bid to sabotage their World Cup campaign. Iran’s manager Amir Ghalenoei has also revealed he’s been compelled to cut his training sessions in half due to the travel disruption his team must navigate.
They have additionally declared the squad has been obliged to depart the US straight after fixtures and head back to their headquarters in Tijuana, Mexico, rather than recuperating in hotels close to the venue.