Iran are due to appear at their third consecutive World Cup in Qatar, opening their Group B campaign against England on November 21.

However, their inclusion in the tournament has faced criticism after videos on social media appeared to show women being unable to enter the Imam Reza Stadium for a qualifier against Lebanon earlier in the year.

The death of 22-year-old Amini in September led to a wave of serious anti-Government protests across Iran, with the Iranian regime facing international criticism for its stance on women's rights and freedom,

Amini was arrested for not wearing a hijab - which was made compulsory in public after the 1979 Islamic revolution - and died in custody after falling into a coma, with police accused of brutally beating her, leading to cerebral haemorrhage and stroke.

The authorities claimed that she had a heart attack.

The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran has vowed to punish beach soccer player Saeed Piramoon after he cut his hair during the final of a tournament in Abu Dhabi as a show of support for the protests.

Swiss official Blatter, whose career in football administration ended in disgrace in 2015, has suggested that Iran should not be permitted to compete at Qatar 2022.

"Iran should be excluded from the World Cup," he was quoted by Swiss tabloid Blick.

Blatter claimed that he would have removed Iran from the competition were he still FIFA President, and has questioned why his successor Gianni Infantino has not made his position clear.

This marks another notable intervention from Blatter in the build-up to the controversial first World Cup in the Middle East, which was awarded jointly with the 2018 edition to Russia back in 2010.

He admitted in an interview with Tages-Anzeiger that "the choice of Qatar was a mistake", and insisted that the United States had been the preferred choice of the Executive Committee before then-UEFA President backed the Gulf state.

The double award in 2010 has been marred by accusations of corruption, although both Russia and Qatar have denied any wrongdoing and were cleared by FIFA's own investigation.

Blatter led FIFA from 1998 until he fell from power in 2015 following a series of high-profile corruption scandals.

Human rights concerns have featured prominently in the build-up to Qatar 2022, including the host nation's labour laws, treatment of migrant workers and policies on homosexuality and women's rights.

Qatar has pointed to labour reforms including a shift away from the kafala system which forced foreign workers to seek their employers' consent to change jobs or leave the country, and the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has claimed that the country had been "subjected to an unprecedented campaign".

The tournament has been moved away from its usual slot in the northern hemisphere's summer for the first time due to Qatar's heat and humidity, and is due to run from November 20 to December 18.

Iran have been drawn in Group B with England, Wales and the US.

The country has previously been accused of breaching the Olympic Charter through Government orders that the Iranian athletes should not face Israelis at sports event.

Concerns were raised over the safety of sport climber Elnaz Rekabi after she competed without a hijab at the Asian Championships in Seoul last month, although the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran has insisted it will support her.