Rainbow flags await Egypt and Iran at awkward World Cup Pride Match
Iran's coach refuses to discuss pride celebrations in Seattle, where his country face Egypt in a crucial Group G match.
Iran Culture News
Cultural reporting on Iran — music, film, literature and art, sport, diaspora life, and the censorship that shapes all of it — collected from independent English-language outlets.
-
-
Asad versus 7 Dogs: Two starkly different movies compete to be the summer Arab blockbuster
Asad versus 7 Dogs: Two starkly different movies compete to be the summer Arab blockbuster Submitted by Joseph Fahim on Fri, 06/26/2026 - 09:28 A historical epic takes on a Bad Boys style action romp in what our critic describes as the Barbenheimer of Arab cinema Ahmed Ezz stars as Khalid, described by his colleagues as the 'star of Interpol' (Black Bear) Off It’s the Barbenheimer of the Arab box office: the two biggest summer blockbusters are locked in a frenzied battle for the soul of regional cinema . In one corner is Asad , the highly anticipated new feature from Moon Knight director Mohammed Diab , starring Mohammed Ramadan, the reigning king of Arab television. In the other is 7 Dogs , the big-budget, Saudi -financed action comedy directed by Bad Boys duo Adil El el-Arbi and Bilall Fallah and headlined by Egypt’s two biggest box-office stars, Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz, alongside Monica Bellucci, Salman Khan and Martin Lawrence.
-
FIFA World Cup 2026: "Egypt has great players," says Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand ahead of crucial contest
Seattle [US], June 26 (ANI): Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand has described Egypt as a strong side ahead of their crucial Group G clash in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, saying that all 26 players in the squad are of the same calibre as star forward Mohamed Salah.
-
Supporting Iran in the World Cup? It’s Complicated.
Is the team against the regime or an embodiment of it?
-
Egypt Coach Offers Support for Iranian Team Before World Cup Match
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan said all teams at the FIFA World Cup must be treated equally amid criticism that Iran has faced unfair scheduling and travel restrictions from tournament cohosts the United States.
-
FIFA will allow rainbow flags at Egypt, Iran World Cup match
(Photo credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images) SEATTLE -- FIFA said it will allow fans to bring rainbow flags inside Seattle Stadium for Friday's World Cup match between Egypt and Iran, although it appears no additional activations will be permitted promoting the city's annual PrideFest.
-
FIFA lets fans take rainbow flags to Iran-Egypt match, but bars Lion and Sun
FIFA said fans will be allowed to bring rainbow flags to Egypt’s World Cup group match against Iran in Seattle on Friday, while barring Iran’s pre-revolutionary “Lion and Sun” flag from World Cup venues on the grounds that political symbols are prohibited.
-
World Cup déjà vu: Iran’s ominous Brazil-Scotland quake memory haunts Venezuela
A World Cup fixture etched in Iran’s memory since the 1990 Rudbar-Manjil earthquake gained a grim new echo after twin quakes struck Venezuela as Brazil and Scotland met again 36 years later.
-
Muharram Mourning Events Held for Foreign-Language Pilgrims at Imam Reza (AS) Shrine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Special mourning ceremonies were held for foreign-language pilgrims at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad during the first ten days of Muharram, including a dedicated program for English-speaking visitors on the eve of Tasu’a.
-
Tasua Commemorations Held in Iran’s Ardabil
ARDABIL (Tasnim) – A huge crowd of mourners marked Tasua in Iran’s northwestern city of Ardabil on June 24 with religious ceremonies, mourning processions, and charitable gatherings ahead of Ashura, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shiite Muslims.
-
Tehran Grand Bazaar Holds Muharram Mourning
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A mourning ceremony commemorating Imam Hussein (AS) was held at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar with the participation of merchants, mourning groups and people from different walks of life during the days of Muharram observances.
-
Ashura Mourned across Iran with Mass Gatherings
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Millions of mourners across Iran marked Ashura on Thursday through nationwide religious ceremonies, processions and traditional rituals commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shiite Muslims, and his companions in the Battle of Karbala.
-
From cafes to fan zones: World Cup fever sweeps NYC and New Jersey
From cafes to fan zones: World Cup fever sweeps NYC and New Jersey Submitted by Azad Essa on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 13:53 Middle East Eye travels across New York City and New Jersey to capture fans enjoying the World Cup On Steinway Avenue in Queens, home to a large Arab diaspora, supermarkets, hookah ca
-
World Cup 2026: From cafes to fan zones, football fever sweeps New York and New Jersey
World Cup 2026: From cafes to fan zones, football fever sweeps New York and New Jersey Submitted by Azad Essa on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 13:53 Middle East Eye travels across New York City and New Jersey to capture fans enjoying the World Cup On Steinway Avenue in Queens, home to a large Arab diaspora, sup
-
"Ideas are your currency": Priyanka Chopra Jonas says 'Obsession' shows how Hollywood barriers are falling
Cannes [France], June 24 (ANI): Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas believes the entertainment industry has become more accessible than ever before, saying that creative ideas now matter more than traditional gatekeepers in determining success, according to Variety.
-
FIFA World Cup 2026: Jeremy Doku rejoins Belgium squad after birth of son, receives warm welcome from teammates
Washington DC [US], June 24 (ANI): Belgium winger Jeremy Doku has rejoined the national team at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after returning to England for the birth of his first child, receiving a heartfelt welcome from teammates as he arrived back at the squad's base in Washington on Wednesday. The Belgian Football Association shared a video on Instagram showing players embracing Doku upon his return.
-
Iranians Observe Tasua Ahead of Ashura Commemorations
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Millions of mourners across Iran marked Tasua on Wednesday with religious ceremonies, mourning processions, and charitable gatherings ahead of Ashura, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shiite Muslims.
-
FIFA World Cup 2026: Ronaldo breaks Messi's record, becomes oldest player to score multi-goal in WC match
Texas [US], June 23 (ANI): Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Lionel Messi's record to become the oldest player to register multi-goal in a FIFA World Cup match, achieving the milestone with a brace during Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday (local time) at Houston Stadium.
-
Opium for survival: Inside a shift in Iran’s Zagros villages
Opium poppy cultivation in some villages of the Zagros mountains in western Iran has evolved from a hidden, scattered practice into an essential part of the rural subsistence economy, an Iran International investigation found.
-
Department of Homeland Security will allow Iran to travel to US early for World Cup match
Iran will be allowed into US 48 hours before crucial game Team Melli have complained about travel conditions The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it will grant Iran extra time to prepare for their World Cup match against Egypt on Friday. The team had planned to lodge an official complaint with Fifa about the “restrictions imposed by the organisers” at the World Cup . Iran have been training in Mexico but they were only allowed to enter the United States 24 hours before their first two matches.
269 culture stories in the last 90 days.