Iran's National Football Team Under Clear Control of Security and Intelligence Forces

Following the Islamic Republic's successful experience in collaborating with the Qatari government to suppress protests by Iranian spectators during the 2022 World Cup, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) planned a broader strategy to control Iranian spectators and promote its policies during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. While in the 2022 World Cup, and just three months after the onset of the widespread protests of 1401, the deployment of forces to stadiums in Qatar was led by rapid response groups from the IRGC, the one-year gap before the 18th edition of the Asian Cup provided an opportunity for the IRGC to establish think tanks to design a more extensive plan for sending security forces disguised as spectators to Qatar. Government spectators at the 2022 World Cup were notably visible during Iran's first match against England, where employees from government offices and individuals who were attending a football stadium for the first time were present. In a symbolic gesture, Iranian football players joined hands to form a ring of unity, with some not singing the Islamic Republic's anthem. However, during the second match against Wales, the nature of the newly dispatched forces changed. Instead of government employees with families, this time, police officers, including riot police and armed Basij forces involved in suppressing protesters in Iran, were sent to Qatar along with active social media and media personnel. Among those identified as spectators who traveled for free to the World Cup were individuals who played roles in suppressing the public during the nationwide protests. After Iran's third match and defeat against the USA, the dispatched suppressive forces, visibly angry, created scenes in collaboration with Qatari police that continue to circulate on social media with warnings. The main difference between Iran's presence in the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup lies in the approach of Iranian supporters and spectators. While many social media users labeled the national team as the 'Islamic Republic's football team' after the World Cup, the team received significantly less support from traditional and real fans during the Asian Cup. While fans sought an excuse to reconcile with the team during the World Cup, real football fans reacted to the players' indifference during protests by not attending the Asian Cup matches. Although the prominent role of IRGC and security personnel surrounding the team and the strict control of stadium atmospheres during the World Cup cannot be overlooked, the most significant issue preventing a connection between fans and the national team has been the players' and coaching staff's indifference to social issues and grievances. The support slogans for Gaza and the remembrance of those killed in the bombing on the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's death in Kerman were evident. What is clearly seen in the Asian Cup is the low number of real football fans and, in contrast, the overt presence of numerous government spectators and loyal forces controlling the stands. In this competition, figures with appearances never seen in domestic football competitions, even in national matches, were present in the stadiums. The first match against Palestine provided the Islamic Republic with the best opportunity to promote its foreign policies and show support for Hamas forces on another global stage. The presence of IRGC forces in uniforms adorned with the Islamic Republic's emblem and holding Palestinian flags evoked scenes from Friday prayers in Tehran or IRGC gatherings at Azadi Stadium. In the second match against Hong Kong, drawing global attention to the Islamic Republic's slogans was the IRGC's main goal. While the release of images of a musical performance by women in hijab from the Bahar Band in Khalifa Stadium before the match raised questions among users, the slogans supporting Gaza were the main focus of government spectators. The congregation prayer before the Iran-Emirates match in the Asian Cup drew attention, especially the congregation prayer held by government spectators at the stadium's periphery before Iran's third match against the UAE, or the presence of a 'jumping Jimmy' from the IRGC at this game directed attention towards the Islamic Republic. This individual, who appeared differently from all other 'jumping Jimmys' who run onto the field during football matches to attract attention or take selfies with football stars, was solely seeking media attention while holding a Palestinian flag. If during the World Cup, interviews with individuals appointed by the Islamic Republic and employees of the Ministry of Culture and Guidance faced mockery, in this Asian Cup, the dissemination of the Islamic Republic's slogans, which beat the drum of war with Israel and the victory of Hamas in the conflict, was more widespread. The war that supporters of the Islamic Republic and the Hamas group refer to as 'the Storm of Al-Aqsa.' In the last World Cup, part of the time and resources of the IRGC's dispatched forces was spent suppressing supporters of the nationwide protests who chanted 'Women, Life, Freedom,' but in the Asian Cup, with the people's withdrawal from the national football team, there are no spectators or support for the people's protests. For this reason, the Islamic Republic's forces, who were sent to Doha at the cost of billions from public funds, are engaged in promoting the policies and orders of the Islamic Republic's leaders, regardless of any opposition coordinated with the Qatari government. The broader presence of responsible individuals controlling the national team members and players during interviews and press conferences indicates the ongoing fear of the Islamic Republic regarding the dissemination of real news. A clear example of controlling players and the extensive technical staff of the national team was the presence of intelligence personnel from the federation during the interview of Saman Ghoddos, a player from Brentford FC, with Sweden's Channel 4. In a report published by this Swedish channel, reference is made to the security officer accompanying Saman Ghoddos, who, while recording the entire interview, emphasized that after the third question, the conversation should be cut off. When the reporter asked Ghoddos why he was recording, Ghoddos replied with a smile that it was to ensure he didn't say anything wrong. The presence of Mohsen Motamedkia, the media officer of the national team, and Mohammad Hossein Hamisi, the head of the football federation's security, during this interview is evident in the published images. Just as the football federation under the IRGC's command demonstrated during the nationwide protests of 1401, any cooperation of footballers with public protests is dealt with severely, and during the Asian Cup, the control of players and interviews continues. Many players have been erased from the Iranian football scene for expressing opinions or implicitly supporting the people's demands. Voria Ghafouri, Aref Gholami, Zobair Nik Nafas, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Hossein Mahini, and many others have faced the wrath of the ruling body of the federation. The last example is Masoud Shojaei, the former captain of the Iranian national football team, who quietly retired from football. A player who wore the national team's jersey for over a decade and has 87 international matches to his credit has been sidelined from the football scene by the indifference of the Iranian football federation. Meanwhile, his former club Osasuna in Spain, which Masoud Shojaei was a member of for years, referred to him as a genius while publishing photos of this player. The Iranian football federation, under the leadership of Mehdi Taj, as it declared before the national team's departure to Qatar for the Asian Cup during a meeting with the IRGC commanders, has not spared any effort in line with the policies of the regime and government. It is unclear when the Iranian national football team will return to the hearts of real spectators and fans, free from the regime's policies and other political inclinations.