Arabic version: يجب على فريق إيران مغادرة الولايات المتحدة مباشرة بعد مباريات كأس العالم

United States officials have confirmed that Iran’s team will have to leave the country within hours of the full-time whistle at their World Cup group games. This announcement follows criticism regarding the handling of the Iranian team’s visa and stay in the US after their first game.

According to Al Jazeera, Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated that the procedure for the Iranian team’s entry and exit was clearly communicated. After their opening match, where they drew with New Zealand, the team left the US just hours after the game concluded, returning to their base camp in Mexico.

Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed disappointment over the team’s forced departure, noting that they had anticipated staying overnight in California to aid their recovery. The US also faced scrutiny when it was revealed that winger Mehdi Torabi’s entry visa had expired after the first match, prompting officials to secure him a new multiple-entry visa for future games.

Giuliani confirmed that while all players and coaches received visas, some support staff and officials were denied entry due to their connections with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He emphasized that the US would not allow individuals with direct ties to the IRGC to enter the country, even for the World Cup. Additionally, he outlined that the team would be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match, and would need to leave on the same day as the game.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi highlighted the challenges faced during their travel, citing long delays and security checks. He called for FIFA to provide more support to the team during this challenging period.