Members of Iran’s World Cup football team have been granted visas to enter the United States ahead of their first two matches near Los Angeles, U.S. officials said on Friday.
The development clears the way for the team to travel from its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, into the United States, despite complications arising from the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Iran’s World Cup preparations had earlier been disrupted by visa processing issues, forcing the team to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, close to the California border.
One U.S. official said all players on the Iranian team had been approved for visas and were in the process of receiving them. Another official said visas had been issued to players, coaches, trainers and some support staff.
A third official said athletes and necessary support staff had been issued visas, but suggested that some applicants linked to the team were denied after allegedly seeking visas under false pretences.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the visa process.
It was not immediately clear when the team’s passports would be returned to enable travel, though one official said that could happen as early as Friday or Saturday.
Iran had been preparing for the tournament at a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, before departing for Tijuana. The team said it had already received visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, credited the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for processing the visas, saying sports transcend borders and that the United States looked forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world.
Iran is scheduled to play its first two matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium six days later, before travelling to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26.
Iran and the United States could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, if both teams finish second in their groups.
President Donald Trump had, in March, discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, saying he did not think it was appropriate and raising concerns about the safety of the players. Iran’s national team later rejected the position, insisting that no one could exclude it from the competition.
Iran finalised its squad on Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs have not played since February because of the war. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March, reportedly over a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the conflict.
Although Iran’s sports minister had earlier said in March that it would not be possible for the team to participate in the World Cup, the country’s football federation later said it was proceeding with the team’s participation.
The federation had insisted that all players and staff be granted visas, including those who had performed military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked “enemy bases in the region” with aerospace missiles, according to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The IRGC said the attacks were carried out in response to what it described as U.S. army aggression against the Iranian city of Sirik and Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait said its air defences intercepted missile and drone attacks, while air raid sirens were activated in Bahrain.
Earlier, the United States military said it shot down four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites on Qeshm Island and Goruk on Iran’s southern coast.
Iran’s navy had reported firing warning shots at U.S. forces in the Gulf of Oman, accusing U.S. ships of harassing vessels in the area. The U.S. Central Command denied the claim.
In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said a paramedic was among five people killed in Israeli attacks on Zebdin in southern Lebanon on Friday, with at least a dozen people reportedly killed across the country despite a new ceasefire deal agreed with Lebanese officials.
The ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 had risen to 3,558, with 10,870 others injured.
Israeli forces also reportedly shot and killed a seven-month-old Palestinian infant and injured the child’s parents after opening fire on a car in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas condemned the killing, saying it showed Israel’s disregard for Palestinian lives.
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