FIFA’s Iran flag ban is an insult to America — and gift to the mullahs
FIFA plans to ban the historic 'Lion and Sun' flag of Iran from World Cup stadiums in the US, complying with demands from the Iranian football federation. This decision has sparked criticism, as it appears to prioritize the preferences of the Iranian regime over the rights of Iranian Americans and dissidents. The ban is seen as a form of censorship that undermines the significance of the flag, which symbolizes freedom and hope for many Iranians.
- ▪FIFA is set to prohibit the 'Lion and Sun' flag from World Cup stadiums in the US.
- ▪The Iranian football federation demanded that only the Islamic Republic's flag be allowed in stadiums.
- ▪Critics argue that FIFA's decision enforces the censorship preferences of the Iranian regime.
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Opinion FIFA’s Iran flag ban is an insult to America — and gift to the mullahs By Joel Pollak Published May 19, 2026, 10:22 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google FIFA is poised to prohibit the “Lion and Sun” flag — the historic pre-1979 flag of Iran — from World Cup stadiums in the US this summer, after the Islamic Republic’s football federation issued a list of 10 demands as the price of its team’s participation. One of those demands, from federation chief Mehdi Taj, was that “no flag other than the Islamic Republic’s flag” be permitted in stadiums where Iran plays. FIFA’s answer wasn’t to send the regime packing.
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