The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team defeated the Iranian team on Tuesday in a must-win game. Now the American team moves on the playing The Netherlands on Saturday. There was a little extra sweetness in celebrating the U.S. victory this year because of the political protests going on in Iran now.

Iranians in support of the protesters celebrated the U.S. victory in Iran. One woman spoke on the condition of remaining anonymous from her home in southern Iran. “Mahoora” said, “It’s not just some people in Iran, it is the majority of people in Iran that want the U.S. to win (on Tuesday). The silent majority [of Iranians] did not celebrate the regime team’s victory over Wales.”

The silence is deafening from the Biden administration but the protesters in Iran are risking their lives to deliver their message to Ayatollah Khomeini and his men that women want the freedom to not be under such strict control that basic rights are denied. The right to not cover their heads, for example, led off the protests when a 22-year-old Kurdish woman was arrested by Iran’s morality police and beaten for not wearing a hijab in public. She later died in jail from her injuries. The protests have lasted for almost three months and there is no indication of them letting up.

There were celebrations of the defeat of the Iranian team even in the capital city of Tehran, as well as other highly populated cities.

A statement was released by Ali Safavi, a member of the foreign affairs committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran.

“The jubilant reaction across Iran over the regime soccer team’s defeat tonight reflects first and foremost the degree to which the Iranian people loath and detest the ruling mullahs and want to see it overthrown. They knew that the regime was trying to exploit the presence of its team in the World Cup to overshadow the ruthless manner with which it has cracked down on the nationwide uprising, which has left 660 protesters, including at least 60 children, dead and 30,000 (arrested). At no time in its 43-year rule, has the regime been so isolated in the eyes of the Iranian people who are determined as ever to topple it.”

Iranian officials have certainly tried to distract from the protests with the World Cup competition. They ended up with publicity for threatening their team, though, for refusing to sing the national anthem before their first match.

Iran has released the number of deaths that have occurred so far from the protests. The number released is “more than 300” but one expert is warning that everyone take that admission with a large grain of salt. The number is likely greater than what is being announced.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards General Amirali Hajizadeh made the announcement about the death toll from the protests on Tuesday.

“Everyone in the country has been affected by the death of this lady,” Hajizadeh said, according to AFP.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at bi-partisan, non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran, told Newsweek: “Iranian official statistics during protest cycles should be treated skeptically. The 300+ figure is less than estimates by human rights organizations.”

“For example, Human Rights Activists News Agency yesterday reported 451 deaths. During the 2019 protests, Reuters reported the death toll was as high as around 1,500, which Iranian officials dismissed. So they have a history of purposely lowballing,” he added.

Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute, said that it was hard to know the exact number of people killed.

The numbers vary depending on the source. Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights estimates that at least 416 people have been killed in the suppression of the protests.

The brutality against the protesters is escalating as the protests continue to grow. The death toll will rise. The regime is planning on refusing to cooperate with the newly-appointed U.N. investigation into how Iran is handling the protests. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said, “Iran will have no cooperation with the political committee formed by the U.N. Rights Council.”

Neither the protesters nor the regime is giving in. Protests are likely to continue for the near future, despite the crackdowns and pressure. The Biden administration should be making it clear that they stand with the brave women and men protesting against the regime. As I said, the silence is deafening.