TABRIZ, South Azerbaijan

Araz News:  East Azerbaijan’s provincial governor Esmail Jabbarzadeh urged calm on local television as Trakhtur Azerbaijan team fans clashed with Islamic Republic security officers following a devastating match for Tractor fans at Tabriz’s Sahand Stadium.

Fans remain furious at the Iran Football Federation and Islamic Republic security personnel for misleading fans and the team, which they claim resulted in the team losing the Iranian Pro League championship.

Araz News has received reports that fans clashed with security forces in the Abrasan and Kirkmeter neighborhoods in the downtown Tabriz city. People have also begun to gather in the Shannaz and Valinasr neighborhoods.

Reports are coming in of police resorting to using tear gas to disperse the protesters. Police and security personnel fear that protests could spread to more cities in South Azerbaijan as tensions continue to rise.

Azerbaijani fans took to the streets changing “Long Live Azerbaijan,” a popular slogan among the ethnic Azerbaijani-Turks in Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.