Iran rallies twice for 2-2 draw with New Zealand amid LA protests
Why it matters: Iran played after shifting its base to Tijuana when 11 officials were denied US entry and pregame protests deepened diaspora tensions.
Iran came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with New Zealand in its World Cup opener in Los Angeles, with Mohammad Mohebi and Ramin Rezaeian canceling out two goals by Eli Just. The Group G match unfolded against a charged backdrop after Iran moved its team base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and traveled with reduced support staff. Reports from the stadium described anti-regime protests outside the ground, where some demonstrators carried pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flags despite a court-backed FIFA ban. After the match, captain Mehdi Taremi called Iran’s World Cup experience a “disaster,” while coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team had been heavily disrupted before facing Belgium on Sunday.