By Hatem Maher

INGLEWOOD, California June 15 (Reuters) - Whistles drowned out parts of Iran's national anthem while other fans sang along, setting the tone for a World Cup opener that often felt more significant for political allegiances than the football on show.

Before a crowd of more than 70,000 in Los Angeles, home to the world's largest Iranian diaspora, supporters waved flags, chanted and revealed starkly different loyalties as Iran fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday.

By John Irish, Julia Payne and Michel Rose

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 16 (Reuters) - European leaders will warn U.S. President Donald Trump at Tuesday’s G7 summit that a superficial interim Iran deal risks entrenching Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, while also pressing him to rethink his Ukraine strategy.

The June 15 to 17 gathering in Evian-les-Bains, on the shores of Lake Geneva, brings together the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, alongside the European Union.

Iran's World Cup campaign began in Los Angeles in a blaze of goals and controversy Monday, with hundreds protesting against a team they see as stooges for an extremist government in Tehran.

A boisterous protest greeted fans arriving at SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, with demonstrators waving the pre-revolutionary flag detested by the leaders of the Islamic republic.

"This team is not the Iranian people's team, it's the regime's team," said Ava Amin, a philosophy student who came to demonstrate with a banner calling for "regime change."

G7 leaders agreed on Tuesday to intensify pressure on Russia to end more than four years of war against Ukraine, with US President Donald Trump saying Moscow should "make a deal" and indicating Washington could re-impose waived sanctions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined the summit at the French resort of Evian, with both increased sanctions and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between the Ukrainian leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin in discussion.

By Miguel Gutierrez and Ed White

INGLEWOOD, California, June 15 (Reuters) - Iranian Americans streamed into the Los Angeles stadium where Iran are due to play their first match at the 2026 World Cup on Monday, some wearing or carrying political symbols protesting the government, while others called for Iranians to band together and forget politics.

The team arrived at the stadium, having flown into the U.S. on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, touching down in Los Angeles just as a deal was announced to end the U.S.-Iran war.

Hundreds of anti-regime protesters gathered outside the stadium in Los Angeles where Iran will take on New Zealand in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup on Monday.

Waving the flag used by Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution, demonstrators beat drums and chanted slogans denouncing the national side, which they insist is a propaganda tool for Tehran.

"This team is not the Iranian people's team, it's the regime's team," said Ava Amin, a philosophy student who came to demonstrate with a banner calling for "regime change."

Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener on Monday after a second-half Belgian equalizer spoiled Mohamed Salah's 34th birthday.

Emam Ashour opened the scoring early in the first half in Seattle, before Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt's Mohamed Hany into an own goal.

With the draw, seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt's wait for a first victory at a World Cup goes on.

Donald Trump can claim a diplomatic victory after reaching an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, but numerous pitfalls remain and the US president has lost political capital.

The cautious reception to the Sunday announcement of the memorandum of understanding with Iran -- scheduled to be signed in Geneva on Friday -- reflects prevailing skepticism at a time when the war is unpopular due to the soaring oil prices and inflation it has caused.

By Gram Slattery and Nathan Layne

WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - The Trump administration and Iran's leadership agreed on Sunday to terms to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a development that has delivered significant relief to global markets.

But while the accord is an opportunity for U.S. President Donald Trump to exit a conflict that has proven consistently unpopular with the American public, it also exposes him to criticism from within his party, skepticism from allies and questions over whether the deal will hold.

By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowall

DUBAI/LONDON, June 15 - Iran's theocratic rulers have seen off a U.S. military campaign but their real problems may be about to begin: managing the competing demands of hardliners buoyed by surviving the onslaught and those of an impoverished, angry people.

Iran's powerful hardliners are energized by a three-month confrontation they feel Iran has won. They want the leadership to take a tough stance in coming talks with the U.S. and prioritise rearming, confident they can halt any internal dissent with force.