Mick Hartley

The Iran team is seen off from Tehran for the World Cup.

Ideally they’d have chosen a martyr as star guest, to give the send-off that special Islamist oomph. That’s not possible for obvious reasons, so instead – the next best thing – they bring on a “living martyr”, a wounded Iranian fighter, injured while manning missile launchers. Cue lines about the team players who’ll “prepare their missile launchers” during the matches. Then the obligatory “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” chants.

And, just like we’re blocking the Strait of Hormuz, so will our boys, inshallah, block the goal.

Rousing stuff.

It’s a bizarre situation, a sports team heading off to a country with which they’re currently at war…