Iran Football Legend Daei Targeted by ‘Threats’ after Backing Protests 

Iranian football legend Ali Daei. (AFP)
Iranian football legend Ali Daei. (AFP)
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Iran Football Legend Daei Targeted by ‘Threats’ after Backing Protests 

Iranian football legend Ali Daei. (AFP)
Iranian football legend Ali Daei. (AFP)

Iranian football legend Ali Daei on Monday said he had been targeted by threats after backing ongoing protests in Iran triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.  

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin, died on September 16, three days after her arrest by the notorious morality police while visiting Tehran with her younger brother.  

Daei, whose 109 goals at international level was long unsurpassed until he was overtaken by Cristiano Ronaldo, played in Iran's legendary 1998 2-1 World Cup victory against the United States. 

He decided not be go to the World Cup in Qatar due to the Iranian authorities' deadly crackdown on the protests.  

"I have received numerous threats against myself and my family in recent months and days from some organizations, medias and unknown individuals," Daei said in a statement on Instagram.  

"I was taught humanity, honor, patriotism and freedom.... What do you want to achieve with such threats?" he added.  

In the post, Daei also called for the "unconditional release" of prisoners arrested in the crackdown on the protests in Iran.  

Daei earlier this month said he would not be travelling to Qatar for the World Cup, despite having an invitation from the organizers, saying he wanted to be "with my compatriots and express sympathy with all those who have lost loved ones" in the ongoing crackdown.  

His comments come as Iran prepares to face the United States on Tuesday, in a repeat of the 1998 showdown, with Team Melli seeking to reach the final stages of a World Cup for the first time in its history.  

There has been intense scrutiny on football as the protests continue in Iran, posing the biggest challenge to the regime since the 1979 revolution.  

Daei himself reportedly had his passport confiscated when returning to Iran in the early phase of the protests but subsequently had it returned.  

Prominent Iranian footballer of Kurdish origin Voria Ghafouri, who has been outspoken in his support of the protests, was arrested last week.  

Iranian media reports said he had been released on bail. But Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw denied this and said he had been transferred from the west of Iran to jail in Tehran. 



UK Offers Peacekeeping Troops to Ukraine Ahead of Paris Talks 

Servicemen of the 24th Mechanized brigade, named after King Danylo, of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system toward Russian troops, on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 15, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters)
Servicemen of the 24th Mechanized brigade, named after King Danylo, of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system toward Russian troops, on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 15, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters)
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UK Offers Peacekeeping Troops to Ukraine Ahead of Paris Talks 

Servicemen of the 24th Mechanized brigade, named after King Danylo, of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system toward Russian troops, on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 15, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters)
Servicemen of the 24th Mechanized brigade, named after King Danylo, of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system toward Russian troops, on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 15, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has become the first European leader to say he is ready to put peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, making the commitment ahead of an emergency leaders' meeting in Paris to discuss Europe's role in a ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump stunned Ukraine and European allies last week when he announced he had held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin without consulting them to discuss bringing an end to the three-year conflict.

Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said on Saturday Europe would not have a seat at the table for any peace talks. Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv.

Starmer, who is expected to travel to Washington to meet Trump next week, said on Sunday that Europe was facing a "once in a generation moment" for the collective security of the continent, and it must work closely with the United States.

He said Britain was ready to play a leading role in delivering security guarantees for Ukraine, including being ready to put "our own troops on the ground if necessary".

"The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

French President Emmanuel Macron was due to host leaders from Germany, Italy, Britain, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, which will represent Baltic and Scandinavian countries, along with the European Union leadership and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Dozens of similar summits in the past have shown the 27-nation EU to be dithering, disunited and struggling to come up with a cohesive plan to end the Ukraine war on its doorstep.

Britain is not an EU member but has been a leading supporter of Ukraine in its fight to repel the Russian invasion. A peacekeeping force would raise the risk of a direct confrontation with Russia and stretch European militaries, whose arms stocks have been depleted by supplying Ukraine and who are used to relying heavily on US support for major missions.

EUROPE NEEDS TO 'DO MORE, BETTER'

A French presidency official said the acceleration in diplomacy meant Europe needed to do more and in a better way.

In the six-point questionnaire, seen by Reuters on Sunday, the US asked European allies in NATO what they would need from Washington to participate in Ukraine security arrangements.

"We believe that, as a result of the acceleration on the Ukrainian issue, and also as a result of what American leaders are saying, there is a need for Europeans to do more, better and in a coherent manner for our collective security," the official told reporters.

"These initiatives are an opportunity in the sense that they can help speed up the end of the war in Ukraine, but obviously we still need to agree and see under what conditions the end of the war can be achieved."

The discussion, he said, would look at "the security guarantees that can be given by the Europeans and the Americans, together or separately."

Peacekeepers would be just one element of the security guarantees being sought by Ukraine.

Some countries were unhappy that the Paris meeting was only for selected leaders and not a full EU summit, EU officials said.

The French presidency official said the meeting would facilitate future discussions in Brussels and at NATO.

"Everybody should be able to take part in the conversation," he said.