Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 29, 2025

Iran compels jet to land, removes family of football icon Ali Daei

Iran compels jet to land, removes family of football icon Ali Daei

Iranian authorities ordered a Dubai-bound flight to land on Monday, barring family members of an outspoken Iranian football icon from leaving the country and accusing them of taking part in anti-government protests.
The wife and a daughter of Ali Daei were removed from the Mahan Air flight after it was ordered to land on Iran’s Kish Island, some 200 kilometers (124 miles) off Dubai in the Gulf, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The flight originated in Tehran.

In response to protests against the country’s clerical leadership, the Islamic Republic is widening a crackdown on dissent that began in mid-September over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She was arrested by Iran’s so-called morality police for supposedly breaching strict Islamic dress codes.

Daei, who retired from football in 2007, has publicly voiced his support for protests. He is one of the country’s most-celebrated players and has emerged as an increasingly influential figure in Iran.

IRNA said Daei and his family engaged in “backing anti-revolutionary groups and rioters, and calling for strikes, adding that Daei’s wife and daughter were free to return to Tehran. Separately, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said Daei’s wife has been barred from leaving the country but had “nullified the ban through illegal channels and had managed to board the flight.

Authorities shut down a jewelry shop and a restaurant owned by Daei, following social-media posts that both properties would close in solidarity during three days of protests and strikes in early December, according to state media. He previously boycotted the World Cup and stayed at home to show solidarity with the demonstrators.

Iran this month hanged two men in connection with protests, the country’s first known executions from among thousands arrested in the unrest. Human rights groups say more than 400 people have been killed in the government’s crackdown on protests while dozens are in danger of being executed.

Iran’s supreme court on Dec. 24 upheld a ruling to execute Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 22-year-old man accused of allegedly running over and killing a police officer in the town of Parand near Tehran, Tasnim reported.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
×