FIFA threatened with US lawsuit over Iran lion and sun flag ban at World Cup
A nonprofit group has threatened FIFA with legal action in the United States unless it reverses a reported policy barring Iran’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag from World Cup stadiums, The Athletic reported on Monday.
The Institute for Voices of Liberty sent a letter to FIFA through its legal counsel, Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, raising concerns over the reported restriction, The Athletic reported Monday.
Mokhtarzadeh told The Athletic by email that, depending on FIFA’s response or lack of response, “a decision will be made to commence formal proceedings in Superior Court, State of California or Federal Courts in California on a later date.”
The group’s legal counsel said Saturday afternoon that FIFA had not responded three days after the letter was sent.
“We are preparing to commence appropriate legal proceedings in case of attempts by FIFA to exclude the Lion and Sun flag,” they added.
The Athletic reported last week, citing sources with direct knowledge of FIFA’s planning, that the organization’s official guidance for World Cup venues would be to prohibit the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag during the tournament.
A joint venture between a US defense startup and a Saudi firm is building a factory near Riyadh to produce one-way attack drones modeled on Iran’s Shahed system, Semafor reported Monday.
The facility is being developed by SR2Vector, a partnership between Utah-based Vector Defense and Saudi startup SR2 Defense Systems, according to the report.
The factory will produce SKYWASP, a one-way attack drone developed by Vector and capable of striking targets up to 1,500 kilometers, or 930 miles, away — roughly the distance from Saudi Arabia’s northeast coast to Tehran.
“SKYWASP is a program that can level the playing field and boost Saudi Arabia’s deterrence capabilities,” Lucien Zeigler, SR2’s chief strategy officer and co-founder, told Semafor.
Zeigler did not disclose expected production figures, but said the factory would produce “operationally relevant volumes consistent with the kingdom’s strategic deterrence requirements.”
Semafor said SR2Vector plans to manufacture the drones both for the Saudi domestic market and for export to allied countries.
A draft memorandum of understanding under discussion between Iran and the United States would extend the ceasefire for 60 days, immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a mechanism to dispose of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, CBS News reported citing two regional officials familiar with the diplomacy.
Under the proposal, which still require Iran’s approval, Iran would reaffirm that it will “never develop nuclear weapons” and agree that its enriched uranium stockpile be disposed of under a mechanism to be agreed by both sides.
The draft also calls for Iran and the United States, along with their allies, to declare an immediate and permanent end to “all military operations on every front,” including Lebanon, and commit not to launch war against each other or threaten or use force.
Questions over Iran’s frozen assets and sanctions against the Islamic Republic would be addressed based on Tehran’s compliance with those commitments, the report said.
A senior US administration official “essentially confirmed” most of the reported points to CBS News on Sunday but did not confirm the provisions on a 60-day ceasefire extension or the declaration ending all military operations on every front, including Lebanon, the network reported.
Iranian media reported that forces of the Islamic Republic downed a “hostile drone” over the waters of the Persian Gulf on Monday, after earlier reports of air defense activity near Qeshm Island.
IRGC-affiliated Fars News says Iran used a new air defense system called "Arash the archer" to shoot down the drone.
The report said the drone was shot down using a system with "stealth capabilities," calling it "a signal from us so that no stealth drone can penetrate the skies of the Persian Gulf again."
US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely” and warned there would either be a “great deal for all” or a return to conflict “bigger and stronger than ever before.”
In a post on Truth Socialon Monday, Trump said he urged leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional settlement tied to a possible agreement with the Islamic Republic.
Trump said several leaders told him they “would be honored” to have Iran join the accords if a deal is reached with Washington, describing such a step as a potential turning point for the Middle East.
Iran’s prolonged internet disruptions are shutting off a rare opening for young entrepreneurs to build low-cost businesses using artificial intelligence tools, according to a report by Shargh newspaper that warned the restrictions are crippling a generation of digital workers.
The disruptions have entered their 13th consecutive week, blocking or severely degrading access to many global online services that freelancers, software developers and content creators rely on to compete internationally, Shargh reported on Monday.
While AI tools have dramatically reduced the cost of launching new businesses worldwide, the report argued that internet restrictions inside Iran are preventing local entrepreneurs from benefiting from the shift.
“Internet that was supposed to become the launch platform for a new generation of entrepreneurs has now turned into the biggest obstacle to establishing, growing and developing a new business,” the newspaper wrote.
Many young Iranians who could previously build businesses with little more than a laptop and free AI software are now struggling to access even basic online services because of filtering, unstable connections and rising infrastructure costs, Shargh said.
The report estimated direct economic losses from the disruption at more than 3000 trillion rials, roughly $4 billion, over a 60-day period. Daily losses for internet-dependent businesses were estimated at between $30 million and $40 million.
Tiered internet deepens pressure
The emergence of “internet pro” or tiered internet access has widened inequalities inside Iran’s digital economy by giving certain users and organizations access to higher-quality connections at sharply higher prices, added Shargh.
Silhouette of a man using a mobile phone during a nighttime internet blackout in Iran amid ongoing restrictions and connectivity disruptions.
Large-volume internet packages for preferred users are being sold for more than 20 million rials (around $12), the newspaper reported, adding that the model has significantly increased operating costs for small software teams already struggling with inflation and currency depreciation.
The minimum wage in Iran currently stands at just over $90 per month.
The report described the current environment as one where international internet access is increasingly treated as a luxury rather than a public utility.
It said software companies face two immediate problems: rising infrastructure costs and the collapse of traditional digital marketing channels such as Google advertising and search visibility.
Under those conditions, businesses earning foreign currency revenue or reducing dependence on international infrastructure have become more attractive, according to the report.
AI lowers barriers but access remains limited
Advances in AI during the past two years, the report said, have sharply reduced software production costs worldwide by automating repetitive development work such as coding assistance, testing, documentation and early-stage interface design.
Tools including GitHub Copilot and AI coding assistants have increased software production speed by up to 50%, according to the report.
AI-generated image of a software developer facing service outages and online access problems in Iran’s restricted internet environment.
But the newspaper said Iranian developers are increasingly unable to reliably access many of the same tools because of internet instability and restrictions.
Software teams, the report said, are increasingly shifting toward direct marketing methods such as SMS campaigns, webinars and messaging-platform advertising because conventional online advertising tools have become less effective under filtering conditions.
