Iranian striker’s gun gesture sparks outrage after draw with New Zealand

Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand overnight between Monday and Tuesday, and Mohamad Mohebbi scored the equalizer for Rostov. Immediately after the goal, Mohebbi made a gun-shooting gesture toward the American crowd and toward Iranian expatriates in the stadium in Inglewood, most of whom oppose the Iranian regime.

The celebration quickly triggered a backlash on social media. Critics wrote that he is “the regime’s favorite player,” called for him never to play again, and said the gesture was a deliberate provocation. One post said his father works for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that he was aiming the “gun” at fans waving the Lion and Sun flag.

Others described the act as a threat rather than a celebration, saying Iran was trying to instill fear and that FIFA had to intervene. The online reaction was especially intense because many of the Iranian supporters in the stadium were government opponents.

Before the match, an American court had overturned FIFA’s ban on bringing in the Lion and Sun flag, the pre-1979 Iranian flag used before the Islamic Revolution. The incident comes amid the 2026 World Cup context.