Mick Hartley

No doubt many of those who proclaimed loudly that they won't be watching the World Cup because Qatar etc. etc. will now be quietly tuning back in. After all in the first few days we've had a stirring England performance against Iran, followed by embarrassing defeats for our two greatest footballing rivals, Germany and Argentina. Of course World Cup history is full of teams who've started off badly and gone on to win the trophy – it's almost a tradition – so no celebrating yet. But still…

Lee Smith at Tablet, meanwhile, is quick to note the contrasting fortunes of Iran and Saudi Arabia – with some political ramifications for US foreign policy:

Under the spotlight of the World Cup, the reality is stark: Saudi Arabia not only beat a traditional World Cup favorite in a historic upset, it also filled the stands with thousands of young fans who paid their way to Qatar in order to drape themselves in the national colors and cheer wildly for the Green Falcons. The Iranian team stayed silent during the national anthem because it does not believe in its mission—to represent a nation whose governing body is torturing, raping, and executing its own children. Even more significantly, these contrasting scenes happened in real time in front of the cameras, while the entire region was glued to its television sets and iPhones.

The people of the Middle East recognize a strong horse when they see one: That horse is clearly not Iran. By attempting to reenter the Iran deal, fill the regime’s war chests with billions of dollars, and legitimize its nuclear weapons program, the Biden administration is doing something even worse than backing sectarian tyrants who spread death and destruction. It’s backing losers. That’s the one crime in the region that no one will ever forgive or forget, and America’s prestige will only suffer as a result, along with its strategic interests.