Experts say Iranian footballers could be arrested upon their return from the World Cup

Members of Iran’s soccer team could be arrested – or worse, brutally beaten – upon their return home from the World Cup. According to many experts, this who fear for the safety of the team after Tuesday’s loss to the United States.

Political author and Iran pundit Kenneth R. Timmerman told the NY Post this week that, following the team’s initial protest against their country’s national anthem on Nov. 21 and their subsequent elimination from Qatar 2022, players could now face retaliation.

According to CNN, after Iranian footballers refused to sing the anthem, the players were summoned to a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a source linked to league security.

According to sources, Iranian authorities warned the footballers that their families would face situations of “violence and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or join any political protest against the regime in Tehran.

“I would be afraid of being arrested,” added pundit Timmerman. “Even if they had won, they would have been stopped, severely beaten and warned: ‘Do not do that again’.”

Former CIA covert operations officer Mike Baker added that there could be punishments for the players “brutal”.

“Given what we’ve seen from the Iranian regime, they have proven to be brutal,” Baker said, “and there’s no reason to believe they’ll suddenly become rational.”

Iran has chosen not to sing the national anthem before the opening match of the World Cup against England to show your support to protesters in your country.

But four days later, against Wales, that protest died down and the players sang along to the beat. Before the loss to the United States on Tuesday, players chanted again in the news their families could face “violence and torture” if protests erupt again.

However, Baker said the initial outcry, combined with the 1-0 defeat to the Americans, could escalate into fines or arrests. “Neither is good if you are an Iranian player when you go home”, She said.

However, Fatemeh Aman of the Middle East Institute said he thinks the team could get away with it, telling the Post: “You can’t arrest the whole national team at the same time, you can’t do that.”

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Iran made their debut with a defeat against England, they beat Wales 2-1 but were eliminated against the United States.