Iran's national football team wore black armbands and held schoolbags during their national anthem before a friendly against Nigeria in Turkey on Friday, in a protest over the killing of schoolgirls in a bombing that Tehran blames on US-Israeli strikes.
The players lined up holding pink and purple bags with ribbons, referencing the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school, which Iran says killed over 175 people, including children and teachers, on the first day of joint US-Israeli strikes. An Iranian team spokesperson confirmed the gesture was 'in remembrance of the 165 girls the Americans killed in an Iranian school'.
US military investigators believe their own forces may have been responsible but have not reached a final conclusion. The protest comes after some of Iran's women's football team stayed silent during the national anthem at an Asian Cup match, prompting state TV to call them 'traitors'.
Iran's football federation had sought to move their World Cup games from the US to Mexico, but Fifa rejected the request. Iran lost Friday's match 2-1 to Nigeria and face Costa Rica in another friendly on Tuesday.
