Iranian FA chief Mehdi Taj has disclosed that FIFA must guarantee safe access and respectful treatment for its delegation, specifically regarding officials linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), amid visa disputes.
Taj made the remarks amid growing diplomatic tensions and uncertainty surrounding travel arrangements for Iranian officials ahead of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
He said the Iranian national football team qualified for the World Cup and has the right to compete.
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“We need a guarantee there, for our trip, that they have no right to insult the symbols of our system – especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Taj told state broadcaster IRIB.
“This is something they must pay serious attention to. If there is such a guarantee and the responsibility is clearly assumed, then an incident like what happened in Canada will not happen again.”
Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been in question since the US and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February.
1 Comment
Iran dey smoke oh lol
The IRGC that America wants to take out, want to enter America for the world cup.
And Iran wants guarantee from Trump, forget FIFA?
Anyway, visa denials straight will be clear in their faces first.
It’s like saying US embassy in Nigeria will clear Gusau and his stinking NFF board to go to a world cup Nigeria super Eagles are not attending IF THEY APPLY FOR VISAS RIGHT NOW. Lol.
Even a Senegalese FA VP, I think, was denied visa recently to USA and Terranga lions are going to the world cup.
It’s also like Senegal women national team FANS applying to attend WAFCON in Morocco this July after the January afcon episode.
Will visas be approved given the strained relations with morocco?
CAF will be in the eye of the storm soon on that anyway.