Iran's Soccer Team Leaves for World Cup as some Officials Still Await US Visas
Iran says FIFA ordered the squad to submit passports as officials await U.S. visa decisions for World Cup matches.
- Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj confirmed Friday that his nation's soccer squad submitted passports to the U.S. embassy in Ankara for visas, just 10 days before their opening World Cup match in Los Angeles.
- Washington permits the team's entry but bars individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a terrorist entity—from accompanying them, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Tuesday.
- Amid visa delays, Iranian Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh relocated the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana, stating, "Through its actions, it has shown that Iranians have no place" in the United States.
- Scheduled to arrive in Tijuana early Sunday, the squad will maintain training while awaiting final visa decisions, which Taj noted are necessary to avoid making "other decisions" regarding their participation.
- According to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, peace talks remain stalled, and the World Cup has become a geopolitical contest during the ongoing Middle East conflict.
43 Articles
43 Articles
The Bakersfield Californian
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Iran squad hand passports to US embassy
Iran's football squad, whose participation in the World Cup remains uncertain, have handed their passports to the US embassy in Turkey for visas, the head of their Football Federation said on Friday. Mehdi Taj said Iran were following instructions from world football's governing body. Their quest for the visas comes as Iran and the United States remain locked in negotiations to end the Middle East war that began in February with a massive wave o…
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