The United States removes the Islamic emblem from the Iranian flag

The US soccer federation is displaying the national flag of Iran on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, saying it supports protesters in Iran ahead of the World Cup match between the two nations on Tuesday.

The federation said in a statement on Sunday that it had decided to give up the official flag on social media accounts to show "support for women in Iran who are fighting for basic human rights".

The move comes as nationwide protests against Tehran's theocratic government continue in Iran.

The US men's team's Twitter account displayed a banner featuring the team's games in the group stage, with the Iranian flag in green, white and red colors only.