Supporters of Iranian soccer team Esteghlal Tehran booed during a minute's silence at the stadium dedicated to a high-ranking Revolutionary Guards commander killed in Syria last week.
Esteghlal fans booing
Video footage shows players observing a moment of silence in honor of the slain commander and other Revolutionary officials killed in the attack, as some spectators carry on as usual and others voice their dissent.
Protests against the Iranian regime have become a recurring sight in soccer stadiums. Last month, Esteghlal Tehran fans invoked the name of the Iranian Shah Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current mullah regime to power.
In late October, Iranian authorities tried to use local league matches to demonstrate solidarity with Hamas, stipulating a pre-game minute's silence "in memory of the Palestinian victims in Gaza." But this move was met with disdain from Esteghlal fans, who responded with jeers.
Following October 7, a Palestinian flag was introduced in the spectators' stand during a match between Persepolis and Gol Gohar Sinjar. Again, the host fans expressed their objection, chanting, "Take the Palestinian flag and shove it."
Public sentiment in Iran toward the oppressive mullah regime is growing increasingly negative, over a year after the Islamic Republic saw a nationwide wave of protests following the 2022 killing in custody of Mahsa Amini by the country's vice police.