Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said earlier that the players had not yet received US visas, but it was later confirmed that they had been approved overnight.
A spokesman for the Iranian Football Federation could not be reached for comment.
Due to visa issues and rising tensions, Iran has moved its national team base from Tijuana, Arizona, to Mexico in recent days.
The Iranian national team plans to arrive in Tijuana on Sunday morning.
Iran will play its first match at the World Cup on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, and in the group it will also meet Belgium and Egypt.
This case further emphasized the political dimension of the tournament, because the World Cup, as the biggest global sports event, also turns into a geopolitical stage between two countries in conflict.
This is the first time since the World Cup was founded in 1930 that the host of the tournament will host the national team of a country with which it is in open political and military conflict.
US officials have not directly said that they do not want an Iranian representation on their territory, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the delegation will not be allowed to include people associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
This could affect some of the players who served mandatory military service in that structure.
Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj was previously denied entry to the US during the draw in Washington.
At that time, he was also a former member of the Revolutionary Guard.
Despite political tensions, Iranian officials point out that participation in the World Cup shows a desire to calm the situation and dialogue.
“Iran wants peace and its participation in the World Cup, even in the territory of a country that is considered an opponent, shows that,” Pasandideh said.
Negotiations between the US and Iran continue with occasional tensions and attempts to reach interim agreements.
(Vijesti.ba)
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