The first FIFAWorldCup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises
The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals.the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel.
"We wanted to come to the World Cup to support the people of Iran because we know it's a great opportunity to speak for them," said Shayan Khosravani, a 30-year-old Iranian-American fan who had been intending to visit family in Iran after attending the games but cancelled that plan due to the protests.
After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government. A Qatari official told Reuters that "additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country."
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