Iran blasts US in angry statement just days before World Cup kickoff
Iran has released a strong statement against the US just days before their World Cup debut in California. Many worried it wouldn’t be safe for the Iranian team to play in the US because of the ongoing tensions between the two countries. Still, the team has arrived, though they decided late to move their training camp from Arizona to Mexico.
Iran’s first Group G match is set for June 16 in Inglewood, California, where they will face New Zealand. They will also play Belgium and Egypt later, with all games held in the US.
The White House says the Iranian players have received visas to enter the US, but several important staff members are still waiting for theirs. According to Iran’s state news agency, key officials like the executive director Mehdi Kharati and the football federation’s secretary-general Hedayat Mombini have not yet gotten their visas. Those without visas plan to stay in Mexico until they hear more.
The US has warned it won’t allow anyone to misuse the visa system for harmful purposes. In response, Iran’s football federation accused the US of “hostile actions” toward their team in a heated statement. They said the US government made a political decision to deny visas to important team officials and promised to take the issue to FIFA. They urged FIFA to help secure visas for the staff urgently needed by the team.
The Iranian Embassy in Turkey also spoke out on social media, saying the US deliberately blocked visas for many team members. They asked why no one was mentioning that a large part of the team’s management and advisors were denied entry, calling it unfair treatment at its highest level.
On June 6, reports came out saying many Iranian and African journalists were also denied visas before the World Cup. The president of the International Sports Press Association, Gianni Merlo, wrote to FIFA about this problem, calling it unfair and harmful. He noted some journalists were only given single-entry visas, which would stop them from traveling between countries for matches. Merlo stressed that journalists’ presence is important to show the true spirit of sport, especially in the US, where press freedom is key. He called on FIFA to help get these visas approved quickly, as delays were already causing problems and extra costs.
FIFA confirmed they had received the letter and said visa issues are handled by the host countries – the US, Mexico, and Canada.