Iran Draws 2-2 With New Zealand as Fans Display Lion-and-Sun Flags at Los Angeles Match

Iran and New Zealand played to a 2-2 draw on June 15, 2026, at a stadium in Los Angeles. Fans carried lion-and-sun flags associated with Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution into the venue and displayed them at watch parties, defying a FIFA policy that a Los Angeles judge upheld the same day. Helen Kohandel wore one of the flags over her shoulders while entering the stadium.

“I think at the moment, people are so confused, people are so angry … and they don’t know whether they support our team or not,” she said. ” The match occurred weeks after President Donald Trump announced on June 15 that the United States and Israel had agreed to end fighting that began in late February and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s national team had moved its training camp from the United States to Tijuana, Mexico, at the last minute because of visa issues.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei addressed the divided crowd after the game. “There were many Iranians here,” he said. ” Outside the stadium, Kourosh Salman stood with a 15-foot lion-and-sun flag. “All of us are here for a protest against Islamic Republic,” he said.

Actor and activist Nazanin Nour said separating politics from sports has become harder. “The regime has taken away so much from Iranians,” she said. ” She added that “everyone’s decisions are informed by their pain and trauma” and that “the regime doesn’t own our culture or our joy.

The appearance of the flags followed months of tension. Thousands were killed earlier in 2026 during a government crackdown on anti-government unrest. In March, members of Iran’s women’s national team were labeled traitors on state television after they did not sing the national anthem before a match in Australia; six received Australian humanitarian visas, and five later withdrew their asylum claims and sang the anthem at subsequent games.