Dhaka, Nov. 30 -- Soccer fans in Iran's Kurdish region set off fireworks and honked car horns early Wednesday to celebrate the U.S. win over the Iranian national team in a politically charged World Cup match that divided the protest-riven country.

Cheering fans hit the streets in Iran's Kurdish-majority province of Kurdistan and fireworks lit the skies over the Bukan area of West Azerbaijan province to celebrate the Iranian team's 1-0 loss.

Some shouted "Death to the dictator," a popular protest slogan referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Kurdish areas of Iran have been hot spots of ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

The protests first erupted in September, following the death of a young Kurdish woman in...