Iran submit passports in Ankara as US World Cup visas awaited

ANKARA: Iran's national football team has submitted its passports to the United States embassy in Ankara as it waits for visas needed for the World Cup, with federation chief Mehdi Taj saying the process was being carried out under guidance from Fifa.

Taj said on Friday that he had spoken with world football's governing body a day earlier and was told the passports should be handed in at the US mission in the Turkish capital. Iran's participation in the tournament remains uncertain as the team still needs the documents to travel onward for matches scheduled in the United States.

Speaking about the visa process, Taj said:

Yesterday, I had discussions with FIFA regarding the US visas. We were told to submit all passports to the US embassy in Ankara.

According to Taj, the squad is due to leave Turkey for Spain on Saturday before heading to its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico. He said Mexican visas had already been issued to the players and delegation, and the federation was now waiting to see whether the US passports would be returned in time for onward travel.

"We are waiting to see what happens today or, at the latest, tomorrow, because our national team needs to receive these passports and travel with them to Tijuana,"

Taj said the Iranian Football Federation had conveyed its concerns to Fifa, including the possibility of reconsidering its position if visas were not granted to players, some members of the coaching staff and others in the travelling party.

raised certain points and requests, in such a way that FIFA was told that if they (the Americans) do not issue visas for the players, some members of our technical staff, and other sections of our delegation, we may make other decisions.

Even so, he said he expected the process to be completed without major difficulty.

"My assessment is that all visas will be issued in full, and there most likely will not be any problem in this regard,"

Iran had originally planned to base itself in Tucson, Arizona, but later shifted camp to the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana. All three of the team's group-stage matches are scheduled in the United States. Iran are set to open against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, then face Belgium in the same city on June 21, before taking on Egypt in Seattle on June 27.

The visa issue is unfolding amid continuing negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the Middle East war that began in February with a large wave of strikes on Iran.

Warm-up and travel plans

In a related development, Iran beat Mali 2-0 in a friendly in Turkiye on Thursday in what it described as the team's final World Cup warm-up before departure. According to that report, Saeid Ezatolahi and Ramin Rezaeian scored in Antalya, where Iran have played four friendlies this year, winning three and losing one.

The friendlies were the only competitive matches for Iran-based players since the domestic league was suspended after US and Israeli air strikes on Iran in late February. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to host the squad in Tijuana after being informed that US authorities did not want Iran to stay at its originally planned Arizona base during the June 11 to July 19 tournament.

That report added that Taj had earlier described US visas as the federation's main concern as the opener against New Zealand approached. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday there was no issue with the Iranian squad entering the country, but officials or staff linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be allowed to accompany them. Dawn further reported that Taj himself was denied entry to Canada for the Fifa Congress in late April because of his links to the force.