Iran says Spain World Cup win brings joy to critics of US, Israel
Iran has congratulated Spain on winning the World Cup final, attributing the victory's appeal to Spain's government condemnation of Israel's Gaza operations and criticism of US-Iran policy. Iranian officials stated the win brought satisfaction to nations opposing the United States and Israel.
Iran's leadership has publicly praised Spain's World Cup victory, framing the triumph within a broader geopolitical context. According to Iranian officials, Spain's win resonated beyond football due to the Spanish government's recent diplomatic positions on Middle Eastern conflicts. Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf remarked that the Spanish team's stance on Palestinian issues, combined with Madrid's criticism of US-Israel policies toward Iran, demonstrated values of freedom and assertiveness. Ghalibaf noted that Spain's 1-0 victory brought satisfaction not only to Spanish citizens but also to nations he characterized as independent and justice-oriented. The Iranian Foreign Ministry separately acknowledged Spain's broader opposition to what it termed aggression and genocide in recent months. In contrast, Israeli political figures and supporters had backed Argentina, whose president Javier Milei has maintained strong support for Israeli government policies. The contrasting international alignments around the two finalists reflected deeper diplomatic divisions on Middle Eastern issues.
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