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The U.S. says Iran’s World Cup travel restrictions remain in place for now, but officials will review the arrangement again before the team’s final Group A match against Egypt.
(Credit: AP)
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, told Reuters that Iran’s current travel setup will stay in place for now, although discussions are expected after Sunday’s match against Belgium.
Iran have complained that they are only allowed to travel to host cities within 24 hours of kick-off and must return immediately to their base in Tijuana, Mexico after each game. Coach Amir Ghalenoei recently described his team as “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”
Giuliani acknowledged the situation could still evolve.
“The situation is dynamic,” Giuliani said. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon (after the match against Belgium) they will take the 27-minute flight back to Tijuana.”
“We will see how it goes for match two, and then there will be discussions the day after in terms of what it looks like for match three in Seattle.”
Why The U.S. Changed Iran’s Base Camp
Before the tournament, Iran’s planned training base in Tucson, Arizona was moved to Tijuana. Giuliani argued that the switch actually reduced the team’s travel burden.
“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was good for everybody involved,” he said. “Their flight is an hour shorter than it would be from Tucson, and we’re happy with the way things went for match one in Los Angeles.”
Giuliani also noted that all players and coaches had received visas, though some team officials had not.
“There are some team officials that have not received visas, and that’s because we’ve seen some derogatory information on them,” he said. “This is the balance that we talk about.”
Security Remains Priority
The White House official stressed that the restrictions are part of broader security planning for the tournament.
“We want to make sure we have this incredible soccer tournament, where people are welcome and enjoy the World Cup, while also making sure that we are not just protecting American citizens, but we’re also protecting all those international visitors that are coming here,” Giuliani said.
He added that no credible threats to the World Cup had been identified, but that intelligence agencies remain on heightened alert.
“What I can tell you is our intelligence community has tripled down on this since the beginning of this year,” he said. “We’re in discussions every hour on it. But there have been no credible threats at this moment.”
What’s Next For Iran?
Iran face Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday before meeting Egypt in Seattle on Friday. The travel plan for the Seattle fixture could be revisited once officials review how the current arrangements work during the Belgium match.
For now, however, Team Melli will continue commuting from Tijuana while pursuing qualification for the knockout rounds.
(with Reuters inputs)
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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