FIFA intends to once again prohibit fans from bringing flags and apparel to World Cup games which feature pre-revolutionary Iran symbolism.The pre-revolutionary Iran flag is similar in color to the official national flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both share in common red, white and green bands, but the pre-revolutionary flag also has a lion and the sun in the middle of its white band, while the official flag instead has an Islamic symbol and phrasing.The flag was changed following the Iranian revolution in 1979, when the Islamic Republic emblem was placed onto the flag and affirmed the shift away from a monarchy to a theocratic government. The lion and sun, viewed as symbols of the previous Shah-led regime, were removed.However, the pre-revolutionary flag has continued to be used by those in the Iranian diaspora as a symbol of identity and protest. At the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, many Iranian fans brought the country’s revolutionary flag to venues for the team’s games against England, Wales and the United States in the group stage of the competition.However, upon arriving at the venues, some fans found they were not permitted to enter the stadium with either the flag, or visible messaging which was critical of the Iranian regime.Fans brought the pre-revolutionary flag into stadiums at the previous World Cup in Qatar. (Getty Images)Qatar is a state that at the time enjoyed strong diplomatic relations with Iran, while in December 2017, the Iranian and Qatari football federations signed a memorandum of understanding to “strengthen the Qatari-Iranian relations.” The timing of this solidarity was significant, coming just three months after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism — a claim Qatar strongly denied.During the Qatar World Cup, there were also submissions to FIFA via its Human Rights Grievance Procedure, whereby female Iranian supporters reported their fears that Iranian state spotters were present at games monitoring those who were present and/or protesting. One complainant told The Athletic they saw a man in the stand with binoculars, focusing consistently on the crowd rather than the field, and another said they saw a man in a suit filming a group of women behind him, before moving to a different location to monitor other supporters.