DPA - Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has threatened games behind closed doors should anti-government protests continue at football matches, local news reports said on Tuesday.
“Security in the stadiums is important for us and should some fans want to endanger it then some games will take place without spectators,” Rahmani said.
The sports portal VarzeshIII said that the sports and interior ministries were introducing better control mechanisms in stadiums.
Two weeks ago fans protested in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium around the first division match between Esteghlal and Tractor Sazi.
Videos circulated on social media showed fans chanting “Death to the dictator” in the direction of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who along with President Hassan Ruhani is blamed for the worsening economic problems in the country.
Street protests against the problems, which are linked to new U. S. sanctions against Iran after President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, started several weeks ago.