Iran Arrives in U.S. on Day of Peace Agreement Amid High Tensions

[Anchor]

On this day (June 15), as the United States and Iran reached an agreement to end the war, the Iranian national soccer team set foot on U.S. soil for their first World Cup match. Due to the U.S. government's insistence on allowing entry only one day before the match, the Iranian team is following an unusual schedule, training in Mexico and playing in the United States. With protests against the Iranian government scheduled around the stadium tomorrow, tensions are running high.

Reporter Kim Soo-young has the story.

[Reporter]

The Iranian national soccer team arrives at Los Angeles International Airport, and the players respond to fans waiting outside by signing autographs.

They entered the U.S. just one day before their first group stage match against New Zealand, which will be held tomorrow morning.

Due to political tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the Iranian team, which had to train in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of the U.S. where the match is held, and is restricted to a two-day, one-night stay in the U.S., did not hide their displeasure during the official press conference.

[Amir Ghalenoei / Head Coach of the Iran National Soccer Team: We are much later than we had originally planned. Our training camp has also been changed twice.]

Protests condemning the current Iranian government are scheduled near SoFi Stadium in LA, where the match will take place.

The protesters plan to wave the old Iranian flag used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a form of protest, and there is a possibility that it could be brought inside the stadium.

Although FIFA prohibits the possession of items with political significance, some civic groups have filed for an injunction in court, claiming that the ban infringes on freedom of expression.

While the Iranian team has stated that they intend to focus on the match for now,

[Mehdi Taremi / Captain of the Iran National Soccer Team: The Iranian national team exists for all Iranians living all over the world. Therefore, as soccer players, we are here to unite everyone.]

The team has previously stated that if the old flag appears in the stadium, they would stop the match against New Zealand and walk off the field, so high tensions are expected to persist until the match concludes.

(Video Editing: Kim Jong-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.