By Emily Green and Herbert Villarraga
TIJUANA, Mexico, June 14 (Reuters) - Some 25 miles (40 km) south of the U.S.-Mexico border, nestled between taquerias in the suburbs of Tijuana, hangs a flag in the Mexican colors of green, white and red. But its design is far from common in these parts.
Inside is what owner Saied Assadi says is only the second Iranian restaurant in all of Mexico. "Food is one of my passions," he said when Reuters visited this week, as he served up a traditional Iranian platter
of rice, grilled tomatoes, mixed meats and salad.
But not all Iranians in the area are eager to visit Assadi's restaurant.
The Iranian community in Tijuana only numbers about 20 people – out of a city population of some 2 million. Even in this tiny community, however, differing politics epitomize the split in the diaspora and the challenges facing the Iranian team on the eve of their World Cup campaign.
Dara Makoipour, an Iranian who moved to Tijuana in 2018, is put off by the flags that decorate Assadi's restaurant. "We have different views," said Makoipour, who prefers to cross the border to eat at Iranian restaurants in California.
Featuring a lion and sun motif, the flag decorating Assadi's restaurant was Iran's national flag before the 1979 revolution and is associated with the country's previous Shah-led government. It has become a subject of controversy ahead of the World Cup, as supporters attempting to take it into stadiums may breach FIFA rules restricting political paraphernalia.
In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, security denied entry to fans carrying the flag.
Asked about Iranians who find the flag off-putting, Assadi said: "Whether that person wants to come eat Iranian food or not because of the flag, that's his choice. Some people are extremists."
But there is something that unites Makoipour and Assadi, and that is their support for Iran's soccer team, known colloquially as Team Melli, or "national team" in Persian.
TIJUANA: AN UNUSUAL CHOICE
Uncertain about whether the U.S. would issue the team visas with the two countries at war, the Iranian squad announced last month it was relocating its training base from Arizona to Tijuana.
The selection made some sense. This Mexican border city is relatively close to the team's group-stage games in Los Angeles and Seattle, and Mexico was happy to host.
Still, for a squad representing a country where alcohol is banned and women are required to wear hijabs, a city famed for strip clubs and gambling dens was a bold choice.
If the team had doubts, they seemed to be assuaged by the warm welcome they received from supporters when they arrived at 5 a.m. last Sunday, nearly four hours behind schedule. Since then, a small number of fans have gathered outside the hotel every day seeking autographs.
"Tijuana and especially the Mexican people – they've been amazing," Iran national soccer player Saeid Ezzatollahi told Reuters.
So far, Team Melli hasn't ventured far. They are traveling with a private chef, Mexican soldiers guard their hotel, and their only excursions have been by chartered bus to a nearby stadium to train.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
The Iranian community in Tijuana is so small it doesn't even register on the census - a stark difference from nearby Los Angeles, which boasts the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
But Sadegh Galavi said he felt immediately at home when he and his wife visited in 2022 from Tehran.
"Literally, we fell in love with Mexico," he said. "And then Tijuana makes me feel that there is a lot of opportunity to work, to do many things, to build a life."
Galavi found a job after seeing a car on the street with vanity plates that read TEHRAN. He left a note on the windshield; the owner turned out to be Makoipour. Galavi is now a mechanic for an auto restoration business Makoipour owns.
Makoipour and Galavi were ecstatic when they heard the team was coming to Tijuana.
"As long as the other side" – the U.S. – "doesn't give them a hard time, the rest is going to be easy peasy," Makoipour said.
FIRST MATCH
On Sunday, the team will travel by private plane to Los Angeles one day ahead of their first World Cup match, against New Zealand.
Support staff and soccer federation members denied U.S. visas will stay behind, including the team supervisor, analysts and press liaison.
The U.S. State Department has said it will not allow the Iranian team to "abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the U.S. under false pretenses."
Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, responded that the Trump administration believes "anybody who doesn't think the same as them is a terrorist."
The Iranian flag remains a flashpoint. A California non-profit has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent any restrictions on bringing the pre-revolutionary flag into stadiums, under freedom of expression protections.
FIFA previously directed Reuters to its stadium code of conduct, in which it prohibits any flags "of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature." FIFA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Assadi, whose restaurant displays that flag, said he believes the Islamic Republic is "not giving people the freedom" they deserve.
But he will be cheering the national team on Monday, regardless of his – and the team's – political views.
"Pretty much everyone in Iran plays soccer," he said. "I hope all Iranians will support the team as soccer players."
(Reporting by Emily Green and Herbert Villarraga; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Rosalba O'Brien)
