US refuses to ease Iran World Cup travel restrictions for Belgium match

Lead

The United States has declined to ease travel restrictions on Iran's national football team for their World Cup matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, despite the team's announcement that it would lodge a complaint with FIFA. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told the Reuters news agency on Saturday that the original travel plan remains in place, with the US continuing to assess the squad's travel arrangements.

Iran's team, which is based in Tijuana, Mexico, for the tournament, is required to enter the US within 24 hours of each fixture and depart immediately after the match concludes, according to multiple reports. The policy has drawn criticism from the Iranian federation and coach Amir Ghalenoei, who described his team as "the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup."

Coverage comparison

Across the reporting reviewed, outlets agree on the core facts: Iran's federation has protested the travel restrictions to FIFA, the US has not changed its policy for the upcoming match against Belgium, and the team faces a tight schedule. However, sources differ on the details of any easing of restrictions for later matches.

The Jerusalem Post reported on June 24 that the US Department of Homeland Security announced a slight loosening of restrictions, allowing Iran to travel to Seattle two days before their group-stage match against Egypt. The change, which came ahead of Iran's final group game, still required the team to return to Tijuana immediately after the match. This report contrasts with earlier coverage of the Belgium match, where the US refused to allow travel two days prior.

Al Jazeera's reporting on the Seattle match noted a delay of 25 minutes when forward Mehdi Taremi and assistant coach Saeed Alhoei were held up by US host officials as the team departed Mexico, though no reason was given. The federation said officials "caused problems" for the duo, but both joined the delegation and departed with the team.

Discrepancies also emerge regarding the visa situation of winger Mehdi Torabi. The Jerusalem Post reported that Torabi's visa had expired after a single entry to the US for the opener in Los Angeles, and that the federation was seeking a new one. Al Jazeera later reported that a new, multiple-entry visa had been secured, with the US Department of State confirming the issue was resolved.

Key claims

• Iran's World Cup team will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming they are being subjected to travel restrictions during the tournament in North America, the Iranian football federation spokesman said on Thursday. The spokesman said the team's preparation schedule was submitted well in advance but that restrictions imposed by the organisers have affected the technical staff's plans, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu.

• Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the US two days before their match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday, but the federation said its request was turned down. The federation spokesman said the aim was to allow players to adapt to match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations, as reported by multiple outlets including Al Jazeera and The Hindu.

• The US administration pushed back against the Iranian claims, with Andrew Giuliani stating that Iran had been informed in advance they would be allowed to come into the US only on the day before the game. He told CBS News, as quoted by Al Jazeera: "The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match. They'll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match."

• Giuliani confirmed to Reuters on Saturday that the US will not ease the travel restrictions for the Belgian match, telling the agency that the original plan remains in place, as reported by Al Jazeera.

• The Iranian team's trip to Seattle was delayed by 25 minutes as Taremi and Alhoei were held up for an undisclosed reason, according to an FFIRI statement reported by Al Jazeera.

• Protests have been held against the Iranian team's participation in the World Cup, with many calling for the team to be removed from the tournament due to the Iranian government's human rights record, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

• The US Department of Homeland Security announced that restrictions around the Iran team's travel are being slightly loosened, permitting travel to US game sites two days before the match, but still requiring the team to return to Mexico immediately after the game, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Perspectives

Iranian football federation: The federation argues that the travel restrictions are inconsistent with the principles of providing equal conditions for participating teams and may affect their technical preparation. It says it submitted its preparation schedule in advance and that requests to travel two days before matches have been repeatedly denied. The federation has announced plans to complain to FIFA, as carried by Al Jazeera, France 24, and The Hindu.

US officials: Andrew Giuliani and the US Department of State maintain that Iran was informed in advance of the travel protocol, which allows entry the day before a match and requires departure the day of the match. The State Department confirmed that a visa issue for Mehdi Torabi was resolved, saying, "As soon as we became aware of the issue, we worked to ensure that the player can participate in every game," as reported by Al Jazeera.