FIFA asks Iran for response on punishment of soccer players who protested

Soccer's world governing body FIFA has asked Iran's soccer federation to respond to media reports that players who wore green wrist bands in a show of solidarity with the political opposition have been punished.

FIFA has written to the Iranian federation asking for information, and seeking clarification, regarding current media reports related to Iranian national team players, FIFA said in a statement Thursday.

Several team members wore the wrist bands in an apparent show of support for the defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi's opposition movement during the first half of a World Cup qualifying match against South Korea in Seoul on June 17.

According to Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency, two players, Mehdi Mahdavikia and Ali Karimi, have since resigned from the team for personal reasons.

But Britain's Guardian newspaper and others have reported that as many as four players were permanently banned from the team by government authorities.

The reports could not be immediately verified.