Washington, Jun 06 (V7N) – The United States has granted visas to members of Iran's national football team to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
The development was confirmed by Tom Barrack, who announced the decision on social media platform X on Friday, just days before the tournament is set to begin.
“I am proud of the US embassy officials in Ankara for processing the visas of the Iranian national football team to participate in the World Cup,” Barrack wrote.
However, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, visas for several technical and administrative members of the Iranian delegation have yet to be approved. The Iran Football Federation has not issued an official statement regarding the matter.
The visa issue comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran. Recently, Marco Rubio stated that individuals within Iran's World Cup delegation who have links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be permitted to enter the United States.
Earlier this year, Mehdi Taj was reportedly denied a US visa to attend a World Cup-related event in Washington due to his past role as a commander in the IRGC. Visa complications and security concerns later prompted Iran to relocate its planned team base camp from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
The situation has drawn international attention because it marks a rare moment in football history. According to reports, this is the first time since the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930 that a host nation has organized the tournament while maintaining direct political conflict with one of the participating countries.
Despite the diplomatic challenges, the visa approvals ensure that Iran's players will be able to compete on football's biggest stage, preserving the sporting spirit of the tournament amid broader geopolitical tensions.
END/SMA/AJ
