Iran regime supporters confront protesters ahead of World Cup game against Wales

Many female fans were visibly shaken as Iranian government supporters surrounded them with national flags and filmed them on their phones.

A woman holds a shirt with the name of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died while in police custody in Iran at the age of 22, as she takes her place in the stands ahead of the World Cup group B soccer match between Wales and Iran at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

Iran’s political turmoil has cast a shadow over Iran’s second match at the World Cup, with pro-government fans harassing anti-government fans outside the stadium in Qatar.

Unlike in their first match against England, the Iranian players sang along to their national anthem before Friday’s match against Wales as some fans in the stadium wept.