Nathan Sales analyzes the implementation of the agreement with Iran and its consequences
Nathan Sales, former special ambassador, emphasizes the critical need for transparency regarding the fine print of the Iran deal. He argues that American diplomacy must be backed by credible threats of force, including military and economic tools, to ensure Iran’s compliance. He highlights that President Donald Trump’s commitment to the “ultimate consequences” is crucial.
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An emergency hearing was held over the presence of Iran’s former flag at the World Cup games ahead of their opening Monday in Los Angeles.
The Institute for Voice of Freedom and an Iran supporter filed a lawsuit Thursday, arguing that raising the “lion and sun” flag, which represents the country’s previous regime and which changed in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution, is a form of free speech.
FIFA banned the flag before the tournament and Los Angeles judge Curtis A. Kin upheld it.
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An official talks to people holding pre-revolutionary Iranian flags before the World Cup group stage match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“Freedom of speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a foundation of our society, but it is not unlimited, as a private actor, on private property and, as previous cases demonstrate, regulated in a reasonable manner,” Kin said, via The Athletic.
“There may be harm to some 2,500 staff members who have to deal with safety protocols,” he added. “It is a tremendous burden to change a long-standing stadium protocol for a massive event in a period of hours. It is difficult to see how FIFA could make a change in one stadium and not the rest.”
After attorney Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh rejected Kin’s ruling, Kin asked a hypothetical about whether fans could “come in with a Nazi flag, a Confederate flag, a Soviet flag, or the KKK flag.” Mokhtarzadeh said he believed such an amateur should be able to do so.
An Iranian fan displays a pre-revolutionary Iranian flag before the 2026 World Cup Group G match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 15, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
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FIFA has said that political materials are not permitted and ruled that the flag is “political” in nature. Some of the flags were still visible inside SoFi Stadium.
Iran’s presence at the World Cup has generated some controversy surrounding the ongoing war in the Middle East. After Monday’s game, the team was ordered to return to its practice field in Mexico as soon as possible.
Iran faced New Zealand in a 2-2 draw in Los Angeles hours after the hearing; Their next match will be against Belgium on Sunday in Los Angeles before concluding group play against Egypt on June 26.
The match was played in a crackling atmosphere created in part by a conflicted fan base and diaspora that remains furious with the current Iranian government, but still largely supports Team Melli.
Iran fans pose with a pre-revolutionary Iranian flag attached to an Israeli flag during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026. (Sebastián Frej/Getty Images)
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However, the vast majority of the crowd openly supported the Iranian players once the match began.
