TEHRAN - The president of Iran’s Football Federation says the Zionist regime must have no part in football affairs, including representation at club or national levels.

Mehdi Taj echoed the sentiments expressed by the President of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibril Rajoub, who underscored the rampant and egregious human rights violations perpetrated by the Zionist regime during the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok on Friday.

Taj stressed, "It is imperative to shed light on these atrocities. The wanton destruction of all football facilities in Palestine has inflicted untold suffering on thousands of individuals."

Expanding on the gravity of the situation, Taj lamented, "Our conversations with our counterparts are focused only on football. Yet, the Zionist regime continues to impose brutal conditions on millions of Palestinians, with a staggering 72% of its offenses targeting innocent children and athletes. The forced closure of the Palestinian Football League and the onslaught of 600 attacks on sports facilities constitute an unprecedented level of aggression."

Directing his remarks towards FIFA, Taj asserted, "It is imperative for FIFA to uphold consistent standards and suspend the involvement of the Zionist regime in football activities within its jurisdiction."

Regarding the collective walkout during the address of the Zionist regime's representative at the FIFA congress, Taj elucidated, "I proposed to the presidents of the Algerian and Palestinian federations that we stage a protest by leaving if a representative of the Zionist regime spoke. While our Palestinian counterpart advocated for staying and confronting the issue, we opted to stand up and exit as soon as the representative began speaking. Subsequently, other representatives followed suit."

Concluding his address, Taj reiterated, "Our departure was an unequivocal rejection of the statements made by the Zionist regime's representative. Their complete exclusion from football activities is imperative. We remain steadfast in our commitment to championing justice and standing in solidarity with the millions of oppressed individuals.”