Nathan Sales discusses the implementation of the Iran deal and its consequences
Nathan Sales, former ambassador-at-large, highlights the crucial need for transparency regarding the fine print of the Iran deal. He argues that U.S. diplomacy must be supported by credible threats of force, including military and economic tools, to ensure Iran’s compliance. He emphasizes that President Donald Trump’s commitment to “ultimate consequences” is crucial.
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An emergency hearing was held regarding the presence of the old Iranian flag in World Cup matches before the tournament opened Monday in Los Angeles.
A lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Voice of Freedom Institute and an Iran fan, arguing that raising the “lion and sun” flag, which represents the country’s former regime and changed in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution, is a form of free speech.
FIFA banned the flag before the tournament and Judge Curtis A. Kin of Los Angeles upheld it.
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An official talks with people waving pre-revolutionary Iranian flags before the World Cup group stage match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, June 15, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a foundation of our society, but it is not without limits, including as a private actor, on private property and, as previous cases show, regulating in reasonable ways,” Kin said, via The Athletic.
“This could harm some 2,500 staff members who have to deal with safety protocols,” he added. “It is a huge burden to change a long-standing protocol in a stadium for a large-scale event in a matter of hours. It is difficult to imagine how FIFA could make a change in one stadium and not others.”
After attorney Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh pushed back against Kin’s decision, Kin then asked a hypothetical question: Could fans “enter with a Nazi flag, a Confederate flag, a Soviet flag, or the KKK flag?” Mokhtarzadeh said he thought such a fan should be able to.
An Iranian fan waves 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 said political material was not permitted and ruled the flag to be “political” in nature. Some flags were still visible inside SoFi Stadium.
Iran’s presence at the World Cup has sparked some controversy surrounding the ongoing war in the Middle East. After Monday’s game, the team was ordered to return to its training camp in Mexico as soon as possible.
Iran faced New Zealand 2-2 in Los Angeles hours after the hearing. Their next match is against Belgium on Sunday in Los Angeles before concluding the group match against Egypt on June 26.
The match played out in a crackling atmosphere created in part by a divisive, diasporic fan base that remains furious at the current Iranian government, but still largely supports Team Melli.
Iranian fans pose with a pre-revolutionary Iranian flag accompanied by 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. (Sébastien Frej/Getty Images)
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However, the vast majority of the crowd vocally supported the Iranian players from the start of the match.
