Iran Men's World Cup Team Honors Victims of School Strike Upon Arrival in Tijuana
Ahead of World Cup opener in L.A., Iran lands in Tijuana wearing pins to honor schoolgirls killed in strike
Image: Los Angeles Times
The Iran men's World Cup team arrived in Tijuana wearing gold lapel pins reading '#168' to honor victims of a missile strike on a school in Iran. The team is set to play its first match on June 15 in Los Angeles, amid ongoing visa issues with FIFA.
- 01The pins commemorate the 168 victims of a missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran.
- 02Iran's first World Cup match is scheduled for June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
- 03Team captain Ehsan Hajsafi criticized FIFA for delays in visa processing for the delegation, expressing dissatisfaction with the situation.
- 04FIFA regulations prohibit political statements on uniforms, raising questions about the pins' legality during matches.
- 05The U.S. military is investigating the missile strike, which has not been officially acknowledged as an attack by the U.S.
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The Iran men's World Cup team arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, wearing gold lapel pins inscribed with '#168' to honor the victims of a missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, that killed 168 people, mostly girls. The team traveled on a private jet from Turkey and is set to play its first match on June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This change of training base to Mexico was influenced by delays in U.S. visa processing for some team members, allegedly due to ties with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Team captain Ehsan Hajsafi expressed his gratitude for the team's arrival but criticized FIFA for the lengthy visa process. FIFA's regulations state that equipment must not display political messages, leaving the status of the pins uncertain during matches. The team has previously acknowledged the victims through various gestures during national anthems, highlighting their solidarity with the bereaved families in Iran. The U.S. military is currently investigating the missile strike, which occurred near a compound associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
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The team's actions highlight ongoing issues related to the Iranian government's treatment of its citizens and the international response to such incidents.
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