Iran's state-affiliated media has called upon football's governing body FIFA to kick USA out of the 2022 World Cup after a controversial social media post from the official account of the United States Men's National Team (USMNT).
The post was a picture of the Group B table and included the national badges, but the Iranian Islamic republic symbol was missing from the image, a part of the flag in the middle of the green, white and red stripes.
It comes as tensions heat up between the two sides ahead of their final group B clash against each other that will decide who is knocked out and who progresses in the tournament. Iran themselves had faced the threat of tournament expulsion due to the mass violence and brutality towards women in the country.
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Although the Iranian team, who beat Wales 2-0 on Friday to turnaround their chances of reaching the last-16, have tried to make a stance against the Islamic republic at the head of their country, that message is not as clear to those at home, and the USMNT defended their own post, saying it was "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights."
Iran's state-media outlet Tasnim News Agency claim this is against tournament rules though, tweeting: "According to section 13 of #FIFA rules, any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people... shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least 10 matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure.
"By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty. Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022."
The Islamic republic have already requested that Qatari authorities ban Iranian fans from carrying their old 'lion and sun' flag - which was in place before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 - or the 'woman, life, freedom' slogan on the more basic three striped flag.
Protests have been ongoing for nearly three months now after Mahsa Amini died in police custody. Hundreds of those protesting have since been killed. Players have made their own stances, first choosing to not sing the national anthem against England despite the threat that poses to friends and family back home. Against Wales they mouthed the words instead.
Carlos Quieroz's team face each other in a group decider on Tuesday with Iran knowing a draw will likely be enough to get them through to the knockout stages.
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