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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diplomatic foes the US and Iran face off on the pitch at the World Cup on Tuesday night, in a match that some Iranians fear may see further run-ins with stadium security or clashes with pro-government fans over raging protests back home.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The contest between the two nations that severed ties more than 40 years ago will be held with increased security to prevent a flare-up of tensions over the unrest that has gripped Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a show of solidarity before the match, the US Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag – without the emblem of the Islamic Republic – leading Tehran to complain to Fifa, according to state media.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar, which has strong ties with Washington and friendly relations with Tehran, has staked its reputation on delivering a smooth World Cup, beefing up security at Iran games and banning some items deemed inflammatory, such as Iran’s pre-Revolution flag.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Iran beat Wales on Friday, security teams were deployed to “break up a small number of altercations” between Iranian fans outside the stadium, a Qatari official said, adding that the incidents were dealt with “swiftly” to contain tensions.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1477445\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"429\" /> USA players huddle during their World Cup Group B match against England at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Mohamed Messara)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1477452\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"438\" /> Iran's head coach, Carlos Queiroz, at a training session in Doha on 28 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Martin Divisek)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I will not attend the game on Tuesday since I do not feel safe in Qatar,” said Iranian-Canadian Azi, declining to give her last name and who was wearing a T-shirt declaring “Women, Life, Freedom” – a slogan of the Iran protests.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Qatar is conducting the same censorship system as what is going on in Iran... Also, Fifa is to take the blame,” she told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reuters</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about being stopped by stadium security for her attire.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hila Yadegar (37) plans to be at the match to show support for protesters even though she and her husband were both briefly held by stadium guards at the Iran-Wales match and despite voicing similar unease over security in the Gulf Arab state.</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “</span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-13-qatar-world-cup-the-most-polarising-football-showpiece-to-date/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar World Cup — the most polarising football showpiece to date?</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”</span></i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I put a chair behind our room in the hotel even though it was locked,” said Yadegar, who works in a hospital in Canada.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1477449\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> Iranians in Tehran celebrate their team's win against Wales on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Stringer)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Qatar official, when asked about fans’ security concerns and complaints over restrictions, said authorities would ensure every match at the World Cup is “safe and welcoming for all spectators”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Items that “could increase tensions and risk the safety of fans” would not be permitted at stadiums, the official said.</span>\r\n<h4>Anthem</h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Politics have spilled into the tournament, the first held in a Middle East country, with the Iran team facing pressure to side with protesters.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iran players declined to sing the national anthem in their first game against England, which they lost 6-2. They sang the anthem ahead of their second match, a 2-0 win over Wales.</span>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Visit <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage\"><em>Daily Maverick's</em> home page</a> for more news, analysis and investigations</strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Friday’s victory an Iranian fan in a T-shirt with an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani – a top Iranian general killed by a US drone strike in 2020 – chanted over fans voicing support for protesters.</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “</span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-29-qatar-2022-woman-life-freedom-football/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar 2022 – Woman. Life. Freedom. Football.</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”</span></i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nationwide unrest in Iran poses one of the boldest challenges to the theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Washington has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the deadly crackdown on protests.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1477451\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"376\" /> Rouzbeh Cheshmi (right) of Iran and teammates celebrate after defeating Wales. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Rungroj Yongrit)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The US and Iran severed formal relations in 1980 after the Revolution and ties were hostile when their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup. Iran emerged with a 2-1 victory in a game dubbed the “mother of all football matches”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With England not expected to lose to Wales in the other Group B final encounter, both nations know that a victory will secure safe passage to the knockouts. Kick-off is at 9pm South African time. </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diplomatic foes the US and Iran face off on the pitch at the World Cup on Tuesday night, in a match that some Iranians fear may see further run-ins with stadium security or clashes with pro-government fans over raging protests back home.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The contest between the two nations that severed ties more than 40 years ago will be held with increased security to prevent a flare-up of tensions over the unrest that has gripped Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a show of solidarity before the match, the US Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag – without the emblem of the Islamic Republic – leading Tehran to complain to Fifa, according to state media.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar, which has strong ties with Washington and friendly relations with Tehran, has staked its reputation on delivering a smooth World Cup, beefing up security at Iran games and banning some items deemed inflammatory, such as Iran’s pre-Revolution flag.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Iran beat Wales on Friday, security teams were deployed to “break up a small number of altercations” between Iranian fans outside the stadium, a Qatari official said, adding that the incidents were dealt with “swiftly” to contain tensions.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1477445\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1477445\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"429\" /> USA players huddle during their World Cup Group B match against England at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Mohamed Messara)[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1477452\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1477452\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"438\" /> Iran's head coach, Carlos Queiroz, at a training session in Doha on 28 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Martin Divisek)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I will not attend the game on Tuesday since I do not feel safe in Qatar,” said Iranian-Canadian Azi, declining to give her last name and who was wearing a T-shirt declaring “Women, Life, Freedom” – a slogan of the Iran protests.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Qatar is conducting the same censorship system as what is going on in Iran... Also, Fifa is to take the blame,” she told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reuters</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about being stopped by stadium security for her attire.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hila Yadegar (37) plans to be at the match to show support for protesters even though she and her husband were both briefly held by stadium guards at the Iran-Wales match and despite voicing similar unease over security in the Gulf Arab state.</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “</span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-13-qatar-world-cup-the-most-polarising-football-showpiece-to-date/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar World Cup — the most polarising football showpiece to date?</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”</span></i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I put a chair behind our room in the hotel even though it was locked,” said Yadegar, who works in a hospital in Canada.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1477449\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1477449\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> Iranians in Tehran celebrate their team's win against Wales on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Stringer)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Qatar official, when asked about fans’ security concerns and complaints over restrictions, said authorities would ensure every match at the World Cup is “safe and welcoming for all spectators”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Items that “could increase tensions and risk the safety of fans” would not be permitted at stadiums, the official said.</span>\r\n<h4>Anthem</h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Politics have spilled into the tournament, the first held in a Middle East country, with the Iran team facing pressure to side with protesters.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iran players declined to sing the national anthem in their first game against England, which they lost 6-2. They sang the anthem ahead of their second match, a 2-0 win over Wales.</span>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Visit <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage\"><em>Daily Maverick's</em> home page</a> for more news, analysis and investigations</strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Friday’s victory an Iranian fan in a T-shirt with an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani – a top Iranian general killed by a US drone strike in 2020 – chanted over fans voicing support for protesters.</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “</span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-29-qatar-2022-woman-life-freedom-football/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar 2022 – Woman. Life. Freedom. Football.</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">”</span></i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nationwide unrest in Iran poses one of the boldest challenges to the theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Washington has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the deadly crackdown on protests.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1477451\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1477451\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iran-vs-USA-preview6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"376\" /> Rouzbeh Cheshmi (right) of Iran and teammates celebrate after defeating Wales. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Rungroj Yongrit)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The US and Iran severed formal relations in 1980 after the Revolution and ties were hostile when their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup. Iran emerged with a 2-1 victory in a game dubbed the “mother of all football matches”.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With England not expected to lose to Wales in the other Group B final encounter, both nations know that a victory will secure safe passage to the knockouts. Kick-off is at 9pm South African time. </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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USA players huddle during their World Cup Group B match against England at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Mohamed Messara)
Iran's head coach, Carlos Queiroz, at a training session in Doha on 28 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Martin Divisek)
Iranians in Tehran celebrate their team's win against Wales on 25 November 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Stringer)
Rouzbeh Cheshmi (right) of Iran and teammates celebrate after defeating Wales. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Rungroj Yongrit)