Every Iran player held a photo during the national anthem before their 5-0 victory near the city of Antalya, News.Az reports, citing France24.
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Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei and the vice-president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were among the officials who also held up the photographs.
Iranian officials said some of the children pictured were the victims of an airstrike on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli assault, that killed at least 170 people including students and teachers.
“Iran is undergoing an extremely unjust and brutal aggression. It is therefore a responsibility that falls to our national team to show its solidarity with our people,” said Iran’s ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Hassan Habibollah Zadeh, who was present at the match.
Before their last game, a friendly against Nigeria last Friday, Iran’s players held up children’s schoolbags in tribute to the victims of the Minab school strike.
The New York Times has reported that the preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended the game on Tuesday and insisted Iran would be at the World Cup, after their participation was thrown into doubt by the war.
Infantino also said Iran would play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, after the Iranian federation said earlier this month it was “negotiating” with FIFA to try to relocate the country’s matches to Mexico.
Iran are set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are then scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
