An Iranian man was shot dead after honking his car horn in support of the US victory after Tuesday’s game in the city of Bandar Anzali, northwestern Iran. Oslo-based Iran Human Rights reported that he was “shot in the head by state forces as he went out to celebrate the loss of the Islamic Republic.”
The victim, Mehran Samak, 27, was a childhood friend of Iran midfielder Saeed Ezatolahi (also spelled Saeid in some outlets), who took to social media to mourn his death and shared a photo of them as teammates when they were kids.
Saeid Ezatolahi takes comfort after losing to the United States at the World Cup.But Ezatolahi has been criticized by activists for not specifically saying Samak was killed by government forces.
Iranian celebrities have been threatened with arrest or other action by the government for speaking out in support of protesters who continued to demonstrate following the death in police custody of a woman who was arrested in September for wearing her hijab too loosely.
Iranian officials confirmed but downplayed compatriots celebrating the US victory. General Hossein Salami, head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said those who celebrated did so “on behalf of the enemy,” adding “it doesn’t matter to us.” His comments appeared in the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Iran were eliminated from the tournament in Qatar after Tuesday’s loss to the United States, which saw players battling for a goal in the final minutes of the game. Forward Sardar Azmoun told reporters he wasn’t happy with his performance in the last game.