The United States announced it will not ease travel restrictions for the Iran national team during the World Cup. Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House's special task force for the tournament, told the Reuters news agency that the current plan for the Iranian team's matches in Los Angeles and Seattle will remain unchanged.
Giuliani said the situation is dynamic and that protocols for the third match in Seattle could be re-evaluated. However, for now, the protocol remains in force, under which Iranian players can only enter the US 24 hours before each match and must immediately return to their training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, after each game.
Iran Threatens Complaint to FIFA
Iran national team coach Amir Ghalenoei claimed his team is "the most pressured team in the entire World Cup." Ghalenoei stated they had expected to stay overnight in California after their first match to maximize normal recovery time, but this was not possible.
Iranian officials announced they will file a formal complaint with FIFA over these restrictions. The team's forced return to its camp in Mexico just hours after finishing its first Group G match against New Zealand has drawn criticism.
Visa Issues Resolved
The US State Department announced that the issue regarding Iranian player Mehdi Torabi's visa, which expired after the first match, has been resolved. Officials confirmed that a new multiple-entry visa was issued for Torabi on Tuesday afternoon and that the player can travel to the US for upcoming matches.
The same travel protocol will apply for Iran's match against Belgium on Sunday. The Iran team is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday evening, approximately 24 hours before the match kick-off.
Security Measures and Balance
Defending the measures taken, Andrew Giuliani stated that moving the team's training camp from Tucson to Tijuana before the tournament shortened travel time. Giuliani said, "The move from Tucson to Tijuana was good for everyone. It certainly shortens travel times to Los Angeles as well."
Giuliani explained that all players and coaches received visas, but some team officials were denied visas due to "adverse information." He emphasized that the US goal is to both protect the country's interests and safeguard international visitors coming for the World Cup.
Giuliani said the intelligence community has been working three times harder on tournament security since the beginning of the year, but no credible threats have been detected so far. He stated that the first 10 days of the World Cup have gone as planned and that great games have been seen on the field.
