By Miguel Gutierrez and Ed White INGLEWOOD, California, June 15 (Reuters) - Iran kicked off their World Cup in Los Angeles on Monday in front of a crowd that consisted of both fans cheering them on and Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the Tehran government.

The Iranian team may want to unite people but what the game with New Zealand revealed is just how divided many Iranians remain, writes BBC North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil.

Tensions are escalating across California ahead of Iran’s World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium, with protests outside stadiums, a legal fight over flags and heightened security. At the center of controversy is a plan by some in the Iranian-American community to bring the historic Lion and Sun banner into the game Monday at 6 p.