Iran's World Cup players have been granted visas to enter the United States, a White House official told Reuters on Friday, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Visa Approval After Delay
Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran's ambassador to Mexico, said late Thursday that the squad had still not received their US visas but these were granted overnight, the White House official said. The team held training sessions in Turkey this week before heading this weekend to Tijuana, Mexico, where they will be based during the World Cup.
Last-Minute Base Change
Iran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico due to visa issues and a growing feeling in Iran that the squad's presence in the US should be kept to a minimum. They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early Sunday morning.
Group G Matches
Iran are due to play their first Group G match on 15 June against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where they will then face Belgium on 21 June before taking on Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
US Stance on IRGC Links
The US has never formally said it did not want the Iran team to stay on its territory, ambassador Pasandideh said. However, secretary of state Marco Rubio told lawmakers Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in their World Cup delegation individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces. Several players in the Iran squad have completed mandatory military service with the group.
