Iran star Sardar Azmoun sidelined from World Cup squad amid injury reports, brief bio: Iranian forward for Zenit and Iran’s national team.
Iran's national soccer team wore backpacks and black armbands before a match in Turkey to honor children killed in a US-led missile strike on a school in Iran. The attack, on February 28, killed over 165 people, mostly children. Iran requests to move World Cup matches from the US due to safety concerns, but FIFA aims to keep the schedule unchanged.
Mohamed al-Mousawi, a Bahraini Shiite activist, died in custody with injuries suggesting torture. His family disputes official claims, and his death has heightened tensions in Bahrain, where authorities have intensified repression since the start of regional conflict linked to Iran. The government denies sectarian targeting.
Iran’s home-based players have begun a training camp in Turkey as they prepare for three World Cup group-stage games in the United States, with Azmoun notably absent from the squad amid controversy and recent political tensions.