Revolutionary regimes typically go beyond politics and economics and interfere in social aspects of society to try to create a homogeneous environment in support of their ruling ideology. Iran is no exception especially when it comes to sports.
Since the 1979 revolution, leaders of the Islamic Republic have used a variety of means, including bans on some types of competitions, and also sought to regulate the role of women in sports.
In March 2024, the Iranian Football Federation decided to use two female video assistant referees to review footage in a match between two prominent Iranian soccer teams, Esteghlal and Persepolis. However, some conservatives objected, declaring the presence of female referees to be against tradition and religion. Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, launched a campaign against allowing women to even sit in a video booth and review footage. As a result, the federation decided to remove the two female referees.
When it comes to permitting women to attend games, the record is also poor.
Although women have been allowed into stadiums from time to time, others have faced prosecution. One fan, Sahar Khodayari, was so fond of her team that she disguised herself as a boy to be able to watch the matches in person. She was arrested in 2019 for violating the law. She set herself on fire and died.
In recent years, there have also been many conflicts between the government and female athletes about observing the hijab as a forerunner to the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests of 2022. Shohreh Bayat, Iran’s first female chess referee, left Iran because she refused to wear the obligatory veil in January 2020, during the Women’s World Chess Championship in Vladivostok, Russia.
ln 2021, she received the “International Women of Courage Award” from the U.S. State Department at a ceremony led by First Lady Jill Biden. Bayat was the only Iranian woman honored that year.
More recently, Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal, left Iran and joined the Bulgarian national taekwondo team. “I am not a history maker, nor the flag bearer of Iran,” Alizadeh posted on social media. “I am one of millions of oppressed Iranian women who have been dictated to for years. They controlled my every move, my clothing, and even my words. They used my medals to promote their own agenda.”
A number of Iranian athletes joined the 2022 protests against enforced veiling despite pressure from security institutions. Iran’s national water polo team refused to sing the national anthem at the Asian Championship in Thailand in November 2022. The national football team did the same at the Qatar World Cup in 2022 before a match against England.
In November 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, Saeed Piramoon, a player on the Iranian beach soccer team, symbolically cut his hair in support of the protests after scoring the winning goal against Brazil. Ali Karimi and Ali Daei, two famous Iranian football players, also joined the protests. The former was forced to flee Iran after his house was seized by the government, while authorities prevented the latter’s family from traveling abroad and sealed his jewelry shop.
Protests against enforced veiling waned in 2023 after severe government repression but did not stop. In November 2023, at an Asian Deaf Athletics Championship in Tehran, a female athlete from Kyrgyzstan appeared in the stadium without a hijab. The published photos caused the Ministry of Sports to dismiss Mehran Tishehgaran, the head of the Iranian federation for deaf people. He protested his sacking, calling it illegal because according to the rules, an “extraordinary assembly” should be convened to decide on the matter.
Competing with Israelis is Forbidden
Another area of perennial friction between the Islamic Republic and its athletes involves sports competitions with Israel, a country whose legitimacy Iran has long questioned. Since 1979, Iran has forbidden its athletes to take part in events involving Israeli opponents.
Unlucky Iranian athletes who draw Israeli competitors are obliged to withdraw from the competition by declaring illness, deliberately losing a prior match, or simply not showing up. In one example, Iranian wrestler Alireza Karimi threw his match with a Russian opponent at the 2017 World Championships in Poland, in order not to face the next opponent, an Israeli. Even though he had more points than the Russian, Karimi faced shouts from his coach saying, “You must lose.” The incident led to a hashtag “Must Lose” on social media that became a trend on Persian X. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, honored Karimi and gave him a ring as a consolation gift.
Some Iranian athletes have refused to obey the government’s orders and were forced to leave Iran. Among them were two Iranian judokas, Saeid Mollaei and Vahid Sarlak.
In the 2019 World Championship, Mollaei had to lose to his Belgian opponent in the semi-finals in order not to face an Israeli. Afterward, he sought refuge in Germany and announced that the Iranian government had forced him to throw the competition. In punishment for this incident, the Judo Federation of the Islamic Republic had to face a four-year ban on participation in various arenas. Mollaei obtained Mongolian residency and won the silver medal for Mongolia in the 2020 Olympics.
Sarlak left Iran after the 2009 World Championships in Rotterdam. Favored to win a gold medal at 2005 World Championships in Cairo, he was ordered to lose a match so that he would not have to compete later against an Israeli.
Government restrictions on athletes have caused many others to flee. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Iranians were the largest contingent after Syrians in the Olympic refugee team with five athletes compared to nine Syrians.
Government retribution has extended to one of Iran’s most popular television commentators.
Adel Ferdosipour, who was chosen as one of “the 20 most powerful people in Iran” by Newsweek in 2009, was a fixture on Iranian TV for two decades thanks to the popularity of his soccer show, “90.” He was widely praised for his direct style of interviewing. Instead of flattering football managers and players, he asked tough questions and discussed mismanagement and corruption in sports. His popularity proved too much for the regime. Ferdosipour was taken off the air in March 2019 because, as former head of the Iranian TV Mohammad Sarafraz suggested in his book, “Story of a Resignation,” Iran’s Supreme Leader had demanded it.
Control over sports administration conveys a powerful message about the importance of religion over athletic endeavors. A critical soccer match was scheduled between Iran and South Korea in October 2016 on the evening before the Shi’ite religious holiday of Ashura, when Shi’ites commemorate the death of Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. FIFA, the international soccer federation, refused to postpone the match; the Iranian establishment ordered fans to don black clothing and chant slogans in honor of Ashura in protest.
As a result of the government’s frequent interference in sports, world federations, and the International Olympic Committee have repeatedly demanded that Iran explain why it does not separate politics from sports. From the point of view of the Iranian government, however, sports are too important a means of reaching the public to be ignored.
Mohammad Salami is a research associate at the International Institute for Global Strategic Analysis, an Islamabad-based think tank. His areas of expertise include politics and governance, security, and counterterrorism in the Middle East, especially the Persian Gulf. Follow him on Twitter @moh_salami.
How Iran Interferes in Sports
By Mohammad Salami
Middle East & North Africa
Revolutionary regimes typically go beyond politics and economics and interfere in social aspects of society to try to create a homogeneous environment in support of their ruling ideology. Iran is no exception especially when it comes to sports.
Since the 1979 revolution, leaders of the Islamic Republic have used a variety of means, including bans on some types of competitions, and also sought to regulate the role of women in sports.
In March 2024, the Iranian Football Federation decided to use two female video assistant referees to review footage in a match between two prominent Iranian soccer teams, Esteghlal and Persepolis. However, some conservatives objected, declaring the presence of female referees to be against tradition and religion. Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, launched a campaign against allowing women to even sit in a video booth and review footage. As a result, the federation decided to remove the two female referees.
When it comes to permitting women to attend games, the record is also poor.
Although women have been allowed into stadiums from time to time, others have faced prosecution. One fan, Sahar Khodayari, was so fond of her team that she disguised herself as a boy to be able to watch the matches in person. She was arrested in 2019 for violating the law. She set herself on fire and died.
In recent years, there have also been many conflicts between the government and female athletes about observing the hijab as a forerunner to the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests of 2022. Shohreh Bayat, Iran’s first female chess referee, left Iran because she refused to wear the obligatory veil in January 2020, during the Women’s World Chess Championship in Vladivostok, Russia.
ln 2021, she received the “International Women of Courage Award” from the U.S. State Department at a ceremony led by First Lady Jill Biden. Bayat was the only Iranian woman honored that year.
More recently, Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal, left Iran and joined the Bulgarian national taekwondo team. “I am not a history maker, nor the flag bearer of Iran,” Alizadeh posted on social media. “I am one of millions of oppressed Iranian women who have been dictated to for years. They controlled my every move, my clothing, and even my words. They used my medals to promote their own agenda.”
A number of Iranian athletes joined the 2022 protests against enforced veiling despite pressure from security institutions. Iran’s national water polo team refused to sing the national anthem at the Asian Championship in Thailand in November 2022. The national football team did the same at the Qatar World Cup in 2022 before a match against England.
In November 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, Saeed Piramoon, a player on the Iranian beach soccer team, symbolically cut his hair in support of the protests after scoring the winning goal against Brazil. Ali Karimi and Ali Daei, two famous Iranian football players, also joined the protests. The former was forced to flee Iran after his house was seized by the government, while authorities prevented the latter’s family from traveling abroad and sealed his jewelry shop.
Protests against enforced veiling waned in 2023 after severe government repression but did not stop. In November 2023, at an Asian Deaf Athletics Championship in Tehran, a female athlete from Kyrgyzstan appeared in the stadium without a hijab. The published photos caused the Ministry of Sports to dismiss Mehran Tishehgaran, the head of the Iranian federation for deaf people. He protested his sacking, calling it illegal because according to the rules, an “extraordinary assembly” should be convened to decide on the matter.
Competing with Israelis is Forbidden
Another area of perennial friction between the Islamic Republic and its athletes involves sports competitions with Israel, a country whose legitimacy Iran has long questioned. Since 1979, Iran has forbidden its athletes to take part in events involving Israeli opponents.
Unlucky Iranian athletes who draw Israeli competitors are obliged to withdraw from the competition by declaring illness, deliberately losing a prior match, or simply not showing up. In one example, Iranian wrestler Alireza Karimi threw his match with a Russian opponent at the 2017 World Championships in Poland, in order not to face the next opponent, an Israeli. Even though he had more points than the Russian, Karimi faced shouts from his coach saying, “You must lose.” The incident led to a hashtag “Must Lose” on social media that became a trend on Persian X. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, honored Karimi and gave him a ring as a consolation gift.
Some Iranian athletes have refused to obey the government’s orders and were forced to leave Iran. Among them were two Iranian judokas, Saeid Mollaei and Vahid Sarlak.
In the 2019 World Championship, Mollaei had to lose to his Belgian opponent in the semi-finals in order not to face an Israeli. Afterward, he sought refuge in Germany and announced that the Iranian government had forced him to throw the competition. In punishment for this incident, the Judo Federation of the Islamic Republic had to face a four-year ban on participation in various arenas. Mollaei obtained Mongolian residency and won the silver medal for Mongolia in the 2020 Olympics.
Sarlak left Iran after the 2009 World Championships in Rotterdam. Favored to win a gold medal at 2005 World Championships in Cairo, he was ordered to lose a match so that he would not have to compete later against an Israeli.
Government restrictions on athletes have caused many others to flee. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Iranians were the largest contingent after Syrians in the Olympic refugee team with five athletes compared to nine Syrians.
Government retribution has extended to one of Iran’s most popular television commentators.
Adel Ferdosipour, who was chosen as one of “the 20 most powerful people in Iran” by Newsweek in 2009, was a fixture on Iranian TV for two decades thanks to the popularity of his soccer show, “90.” He was widely praised for his direct style of interviewing. Instead of flattering football managers and players, he asked tough questions and discussed mismanagement and corruption in sports. His popularity proved too much for the regime. Ferdosipour was taken off the air in March 2019 because, as former head of the Iranian TV Mohammad Sarafraz suggested in his book, “Story of a Resignation,” Iran’s Supreme Leader had demanded it.
Control over sports administration conveys a powerful message about the importance of religion over athletic endeavors. A critical soccer match was scheduled between Iran and South Korea in October 2016 on the evening before the Shi’ite religious holiday of Ashura, when Shi’ites commemorate the death of Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. FIFA, the international soccer federation, refused to postpone the match; the Iranian establishment ordered fans to don black clothing and chant slogans in honor of Ashura in protest.
As a result of the government’s frequent interference in sports, world federations, and the International Olympic Committee have repeatedly demanded that Iran explain why it does not separate politics from sports. From the point of view of the Iranian government, however, sports are too important a means of reaching the public to be ignored.
Mohammad Salami is a research associate at the International Institute for Global Strategic Analysis, an Islamabad-based think tank. His areas of expertise include politics and governance, security, and counterterrorism in the Middle East, especially the Persian Gulf. Follow him on Twitter @moh_salami.
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