Sirjan, Iran – Security personnel at a football stadium in the city of Sirjan temporarily confiscated ‘Palestinian’ flags from spectators this week, an incident that captured both local and international attention amidst the broader context of Iran’s ongoing support for anti-Israel terror groups and its use of public venues for political messaging.
The initial report, released by opposition-linked Iran International, showed stadium security removing the banners from fans during the match. Subsequent information from stadium officials and other media clarified that authorities acted due to safety protocols, seizing only those flags attached to wooden or metal poles. The flags themselves were generally returned to the spectators, and those using plastic flagpoles faced no restrictions. By the second half of the game, fans in the stadium were seen once again unfurling not only ‘Palestinian’ flags but also banners affiliated with Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic, invoking the broader Iranian-backed network referred to as the ‘Axis of Resistance.’
This incident is emblematic of Iran’s long-standing practice of using popular sporting and cultural events as platforms for political demonstrations. Sporting events throughout Iran have repeatedly been used not just for expressions of cultural identity, but as stages for orchestrated support of the regime’s ideological and geopolitical goals. The display of such banners—particularly during a time of heightened regional tensions and growing solidarity with Gaza—serves to reinforce the regime’s image as the leader of a coalition of groups opposing Israel and the West.
The Iranian government and its proxies—including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen—form the backbone of the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance.’ This network is coordinated, armed, and financed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is collectively responsible for major escalations against Israel, including rocket attacks on civilian targets, cross-border operations, and propaganda campaigns. In the wake of the October 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas terrorists—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—the Iranian regime has redoubled its rhetorical and material support for these groups. The banners and flags displayed in public venues thus carry meaning far beyond the merely symbolic, acting as visible endorsements of organizations that openly declare the destruction of Israel as their goal.
Amid the ongoing war in Gaza and broader hostilities, Iran has intensified efforts to rally domestic support by channeling public emotion through proxy conflicts. Analysts note that highly visible gestures, like flag-waving at football games, are used to distract from growing internal unrest and economic hardship caused by years of sanctions and governmental mismanagement. They also serve to legitimize—and normalize—support for internationally designated terrorist organizations, encouraging a culture in which violent opposition to Israel is celebrated and elevated above all else.
International reactions to such incidents are nuanced but increasingly critical. FIFA and other sports governing bodies have threatened sanctions against the use of stadiums for political purposes, citing concerns over incitement and safety. Human rights organizations highlight the impact on civil society in Iran, where the regime employs both coercion and propaganda to stifle dissent and broadcast approved narratives.
Within Israel, officials are clear that public displays of support for Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror groups in neighboring countries are not mere provocations; they are seen as extensions of a campaign of aggression. Since October 7, Israeli defense forces have maintained a posture of self-defense, targeting the infrastructure and leadership of the terror organizations responsible for atrocities, abductions, and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. The normalization of terror-affiliated symbols in Iran and among pro-Iran groups further entrenches a culture of incitement, posing ongoing challenges to regional peace and security.
Observers emphasize that while the confiscation of flags in Sirjan appeared to have been handled primarily as a crowdsafety issue—flagpoles can be used as weapons or projectiles in crowded settings—the broader context cannot be ignored. The events at the stadium illustrate the regime’s willingness to harness even routine social gatherings for the purpose of ideological assertion and support for militant organizations. The ready reappearance of banners for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime during the same match demonstrates the resilience and wide reach of Iranian-backed influence networks.
This episode is one of many recent examples of how seemingly apolitical arenas, like sports, are exploited for propaganda by a regime seeking to project power at home and abroad. Even as security officials in Iran attempt to manage public order, the regime’s support for terror proxies and the glorification of anti-Israel violence remain foundational elements of its domestic and foreign policy, distorting the notion of resistance into a tool for regional destabilization.
For Israeli officials and the international community, each incident of public support for terror groups, wherever it occurs, represents a broader challenge to upholding peace, security, and the historical truth of ongoing conflict. As the war against Iranian-backed terror continues, Israel’s actions remain guided by the imperative of self-defense and the preservation of its citizens’ safety, confronting not only battlefield threats but also the spread of incitement and misinformation throughout the region.
