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Twitter accounts affiliated with the Iranian regime posted extensively in anticipation of the U.S.-Iran World Cup match on November 29, sharing content that celebrated IRGC commander Qassim Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2021. Tweets portrayed Soleimani as a source of inspiration that will motivate the Iranian team to avenge his killing by defeating the U.S. in the match. The following is a sample of these tweets.
Iranian Team Should Wear T-Shirts With Soleimani's Image
An account with the handle "@berke_noghree" tweeted an image of Soleimani gesturing with his finger. The text in Farsi suggested that Iranian players wear T-shirts with Soleimani's image under their uniforms, and show them when they score a goal.
"For example, if [Iranian player] Tarami scores a goal, there should be a photo of Haji under his shirt, and the world will see it, and some people will be jealous :)"[1]
Soleimani's Spirit Will Attend The Match
User "@yasinrezai00" tweeted a photo showing a fan of the Iranian team in a stadium displaying Soleimani's photo on his phone, suggesting Soleimani is attending the match in spirit.[2]
Ivanka Trump, Who "Played A Role In Soleimani Assassination," Will Attend The Match
Another account, "@ABOLFAZL_AMERY," which uses Soleimani's photo as profile picture tweeted an image of Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and their children attending a FIFA World Cup match in Qatar.[3] Commenting on the photo, the user wrote:
"Kushner's wife Ivanka Trump, who played an important role in Haji Qassim [Soleimani's] assassination, is among the spectators in the Iran-America match. Guys [i.e., players], slap them in the mouth because of what they did to Haji Qassim."
Let Us Win To Make Soleimani Proud
"@famil_kk" tweeted another photo of Soleimani, showing him smiling, and wrote: "Please God, let me tweet tonight at 1:20 [end of the match in Iran's time zone] with a double sense of pride, with the feeling that Haji Qassim would be proud of us."[4]
