TEHRAN – Iran’s national team has defeated 10-man Palestine at the Basra four-nation tournament in Iraq.
Palestine went to 10-man in the 66th minute after Ameed Sawafta was shown his second yellow card. 
Sardar Azmoun opened the scoring for the Iranian side in 77th minute and Saleh Hardani made it 2-0 with six minutes remaining at the Basra International Stadium.
Iran will play Iraq on Tuesday, while Palestine take on Lebanon.
The tournament is expected to provide an important opportunity for coaches to test player readiness and assess their levels ahead of official competitions, as the date for continental commitments approaches.