In the year 2026 World Cup: Iranian flags will not be allowed to fly in stadiums.

The tension is on full display outside Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles ahead of Iran’s June 15 clash with New Zealand.

Protesters of the government in Tehran gathered waving lion and sun flags. It was the flag of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and for many it is a symbol of resistance to the current regime.

From a distance, they look like the Iranian flag.

But a closer look reveals the crux of the argument.

For the protesters here, the lion and sun represent Iran.

“It’s a stand against the Islamic Republic. It’s the real flag of Iran,” said Arezo Rashidian, one of the rally’s organizers.

They say the logo on the national team jersey represents the government they want. That post-revolutionary flag has the same green, white and red stripes, but with the Islamic emblem of four crescents and a red sword. The Arabic text ‘Allahu Akbar’, which translates as ‘Allahu Akbar’ and is recited by Muslims during prayer, is also placed on the flag.

Many of those gathered outside the Sofi Stadium accused the Islamic Republic of suppressing opposition at home to legitimize sports abroad.

“Regime change is the goal. We are here to show solidarity with the people of Iran,” Ms. Rashidian said.

“They are against the mass killing of individuals protesting for freedom,” she said, referring to the large-scale crackdown by the regime’s troops that sparked anti-government protests in January and February and resulted in thousands of deaths.

At the time, state officials said thousands of people had been injured, while activists and medical sources cited mass shootings, overcrowding of hospitals and the release of autopsy records to indicate the true scale of the violence.