Iran's Quiet Gesture at the World Cup Signals Thaw in U.S. Relations

Iran's national team left a handwritten thank-you note at SoFi Stadium after their 0-0 draw with Belgium on June 22—a gesture to staff and the Iranian diaspora. It's Iran's first competition on U.S. soil since 1994, during decades of broken ties and economic sanctions. These moments rarely shift policy, but they resonate where formal diplomacy cannot.