Iran calls on FIFA to kick USA out of World Cup after flag altered

 Iran's football federation has called on FIFA to kick the USA out of the World Cup after they displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.

Ahead of the nations' Group B meeting at the World Cup on Tuesday, the US infuriated their opponents by posting altered images of Iran's flag.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency said its country's football federation would be filing a complaint to FIFA's ethics committee and outlined theoretical sanctions.

Quoted by Tasnim, legal adviser Safia Allah Faghanpour said: "Respecting a nation's flag is an accepted international practice that all other nations must emulate.

"The action conducted in relation to the Iranian flag is unethical and against international law."

And on their Twitter page, the news agency said a 10-game suspension was an "appropriate penalty".

The islamic Republic News Agency called the US's social media posts "a hostile and provocative move".

On the alteration of the flag, a US football federation told The Athletic: "Clearly the decision we made was to show support for the women in Iran. That stands.

"This is our decision, not anyone else's or pressure from anyone else."

For context: There are widespread anti-government protests currently taking place in Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran's police in September for alleged violations of the country's strict dress code.

Iran Human Rights reported this week that at least 416 people have been killed by security forces in the ongoing nationwide protests.