DHS Grants Entry to Iranian World Cup Team Before Seattle Match
The Department of Homeland Security has extended Iran's soccer team entry to 48 hours before their Seattle World Cup match, up from 24 hours, though they must depart immediately after the game.
The Iranian team will now be permitted to enter the United States 48 hours ahead of Friday’s match against Egypt. Under the revised guidelines, the team must still depart immediately after the match for its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, unlike other competing nations whose teams are typically granted recovery time in host cities.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed the policy adjustment to NBC News, stating the Iranian squad would be allowed entry two days before the June 26 Seattle fixture but must leave the evening the match concludes.
The spokesperson emphasized that President Donald Trump wants focus maintained on the actual competition while ensuring safety and security around stadiums, base camps, and training facilities remain paramount.
The decision follows threats from the Iranian team to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body, regarding what it characterized as discriminatory treatment in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin justified the heightened security measures by revealing that an individual with direct connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to enter American territory aboard the Iranian team’s aircraft.
Iran’s soccer federation had originally planned to establish its training base in Tucson, Arizona, before being forced to relocate to Mexico in May due to security concerns.
The Islamic Republic secured its World Cup qualification before the United States and Israel conducted a coordinated military strike against Iranian targets in late February. Recent weeks have seen Washington and Tehran engage in diplomatic negotiations, with the U.S. insisting Iran cease its nuclear weapons development program.
President Trump claimed Tuesday that Iranian authorities had agreed fully and completely to permit nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations watchdog organization. Tehran immediately contradicted this assertion, stating no plans existed for inspectors to access its uranium enrichment facilities.
With information from Washington Examiner
