Iran's Ayatolla Khamenei praises militia for brutal crackdown

The Iranian football team's refusal to sing their national anthem was bigger news than the scoreline in their first match. But they were singing again ahead of their 2-nil win over Wales, following alleged pressure from the government. It is just one sign of the huge risks Iranian people are taking to show their dissent - at a World Cup increasingly overshadowed by human rights issues.
But Iranians are not limiting their protests to stadiums in Qatar. Demonstrations continue in Iran - with several taking place in Tehran and other cities on Saturday, according to social media.
Activists say security forces opened fire on a crowd gathered in the city of Zahedan in the southeast after Friday prayers. Dozens are feared dead or wounded. In a speech on Saturday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatolla Ali Khamenei praised the Basij militias that have been at the heart of the government crackdown.