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EXCLUSIVE: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has allegedly utilized nan country's shot strategy to spy connected citizens, perchance violating FIFA bylaws, according to a caller study from a awesome guidance party.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)'s U.S. agency provided nan study to Fox News Digital. It outlines an alleged crippled for Iran’s shot federation and apical clubs to beryllium drawn into a broader authorities information apparatus, and that astatine slightest 15 IRGC commanders person been formally documented and identified successful shot nine management.
The NCRI, citing alleged charismatic IRGC documents, accuses nan IRGC of utilizing clubs, stadium infrastructure and security-linked guidance posts to show fans, suppress dissenting athletes and break FIFA rules connected governmental interference.
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The study alleges facial-recognition exertion and different devices and search systems were utilized to show spectators. The study cites alleged soul Iranian information documents, including Tehran Province Security Council worldly from 2025 and a Sarallah Headquarters information scheme from 2024.
According to NCRI-US’s translations of those documents, officials discussed facial-recognition cameras astatine Azadi, Takhti and Shahr-e Qods stadiums; ticketing tied to Iran’s nationalist civil-registration database; seat-by-seat mapping of spectators by nationalist ID; monitoring and vetting of fan-club leaders; and designated constabulary staging areas aliases quick-reaction units wrong stadiums.
"It is highly captious for security, intelligence, and rule enforcement agencies to utilize and utilization nan video surveillance cameras of nan Azadi Complex during matches, fixed nan changeless imaginable for unpredictable information incidents. It is highly conceivable that early riots and civilian unrest could originate wrong nan sports stadiums," nan study said, quoting nan documents.
Fox News Digital reached retired to nan Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran’s ngo to nan United Nations for comment.
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NCRI-US is nan Washington agency of nan National Council of Resistance of Iran, an Iranian guidance conjugation that advocates replacing nan Islamic Republic pinch what it describes arsenic a democratic, secular and non-nuclear republic. The group says nan worldly was obtained done nan web wrong Iran of nan People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, aliases MEK, a awesome guidance activity that Tehran considers an enemy.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, lawman head of NCRI-US, told Fox News Digital that nan statement first became focused connected stadium surveillance while search really Iranian authorities identified protesters during caller uprisings.
"Our attraction was fundamentally successful position of nan protests and seeing really nan Iran authorities really [was] trying to place nan protesters successful nan streets, identifying nan leaders of nan protests," Jafarzadeh said. He said NCRI later realized, while reviewing what he described arsenic a ample batch of soul material, that "when it comes to a sports field, nan Iran authorities has a special attraction connected sports arsenic a intends of repression."
Jafarzadeh added that Iranian shot stadiums are among nan fewer spaces wherever ample numbers of young group stitchery and definitive corporate emotion, making them a target for security forces. Soccer is Iran’s astir celebrated sport, and clubs specified arsenic Persepolis and Esteghlal tie monolithic followings.
According to NCRI’s report, minutes from a May 2025 Sports Commission gathering nether nan Tehran Province Security Council discussed nan request to equip aggregate Azadi, Takhti and Shahr-e Qods stadiums pinch facial-recognition cameras.
The aforesaid archive says practice from nan Football Federation, nan Football League Organization, Esteghlal and Persepolis was "strictly required" for nan video surveillance task astatine Azadi Stadium, according to nan NCRI. Another conception lists nan president of Iran’s shot federation, Mehdi Taj, among officials copied for "executive implementation."
The study besides cited minutes from a later Tehran Province Security Council convention saying officials discussed smart ticketing connected to Iran’s National Organization for Civil Registration, mandatory personality verification, numbered seats matched to nationalist ID numbers, facial-recognition cameras, X-ray scanning machines and "fan cards" for pre-vetted instrumentality leaders.
Jafarzadeh said NCRI believes nan intent of collecting specified accusation is to place group who reason nan authorities and alteration later arrests.
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Iranian shot supporters gathered astatine Enghelab Square successful Tehran connected May 13, 2026, for a ceremonial honoring nan Iran nationalist shot squad up of nan 2026 FIFA World Cup. The arena featured performances of anthems dedicated to nan squad and nan unveiling of nan team's kit. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
"The accusation they sewage from nan sports facilities, they utilized successful bid to place nan group who were opposed to nan regime, and past later connected arrested them," Jafarzadeh said. "The authorities uses sports and diversion events successful bid to exert its repression connected nan population."
The study further alleged that Iran’s shot strategy has been penetrated by IRGC and security-linked figures for decades. NCRI names astatine slightest 15 group it describes arsenic IRGC aliases security-linked figures who person held elder positions successful clubs, federations, convention guidance aliases sports bodies. Among them, nan study identifies Taj arsenic a former IRGC intelligence serviceman who presently leads nan Iran shot federation.
Official FIFA bylaws opportunity personnel associations must "manage their affairs independently," guarantee their affairs are not influenced by 3rd parties, and that they beryllium "neutral successful matters of authorities and religion," "independent," and debar "any shape of governmental interference."
Jafarzadeh said FIFA should expel Iran’s shot federation, comparing nan lawsuit to world sports bans imposed connected apartheid-era South Africa.
Iranian shot supporters stitchery astatine Enghelab Square successful Tehran during a ceremonial for nan Iran nationalist shot squad up of nan 2026 FIFA World Cup connected May 13, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
"You cannot person a sports club, a sports facility, dominated pinch nan military, which is portion of nan Iran regime," he said. "Sports federations, they person to beryllium capable to run autonomously independent of nan government...
"My connection to FIFA is that do precisely what you did pinch South Africa during nan apartheid. The Iranian Football Federation that is controlled by nan Revolutionary Guards must beryllium expelled from FIFA."
FIFA besides says violations of that independency request tin lead to sanctions, moreover if nan extracurricular power was not nan responsibility of nan association.
Fox News Digital has reached retired to FIFA for comment.
The study besides accuses Iran of systematic gender favoritism successful sports, particularly restrictions connected women entering stadiums and authorities power complete female athletes’ uniforms.
Human Rights Watch reported successful 2022 that Iranian authorities blocked dozens of women from entering a shot stadium successful Mashhad. FIFA, however, has besides pointed to caller cases wherever women were allowed to be Iranian matches, including a 2024 women-only crowd astatine a Persian Gulf Pro League lucifer successful Isfahan.
Rights groups opportunity Iranian women proceed to look discriminatory barriers to stadium access.
Iranian shot supporters stitchery astatine Enghelab Square successful Tehran during a ceremonial for nan Iran nationalist shot squad up of nan 2026 FIFA World Cup connected May 13, 2026. Thousands attended nan arena wherever anthems dedicated to nan nationalist squad were performed and nan team's kit for nan tourney was unveiled. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
Rights groups person documented cases successful which Iranian athletes faced reward aft supporting aliases participating successful anti-government protests.
Habib Khabiri, a erstwhile famed Iran nationalist shot subordinate and squad captain, was listed successful a 1985 United Nations study among group "allegedly summarily and arbitrarily executed" successful Iran successful 1984-1985. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Khabiri was arrested successful 1983, tortured successful situation and executed successful 1984 aft alleged ties to nan Mojahedin-e Khalq.
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Jafarzadeh highlighted Khabiri arsenic a awesome of nan regime’s repression of athletes, arsenic Khabiri was a rising shot prima who became skipper of Iran’s nationalist squad earlier being arrested and asked to look connected tv to renounce his governmental beliefs.
"He refused, and he was executed connected June 21, 1984," Jafarzadeh said. "He became a awesome for each of nan athletes."
Jackson Thompson is simply a sports newsman for Fox News Digital covering captious governmental and taste issues successful sports, pinch an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited successful national authorities actions related to nan enforcement of Title IX, and successful bequest media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
