Iran Slams US 'Discriminatory Treatment' as Visas Denied for 15 World Cup Delegation Members

(Central News Agency, Tehran, 6th, Comprehensive Foreign News) Iranian authorities on Tuesday slammed the United States, one of the three host nations of this year's World Cup, for 'discriminatory treatment' after denying entry visas to 15 members of the Iranian delegation, including the head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Iranian national team has set up a training camp in Antalya, Turkey. A reporter for Iranian state television in the area stated: 'Visas for the Iranian national team and technical staff have been issued, but there are problems with the visas for 15 administrative staff members, which have not been granted by the United States.'

The US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, had earlier stated that the US had issued visas for Iranian players but did not mention the unissued visas for administrative staff.

The Iranian Embassy in Turkey posted on social media platform X, questioning: 'Why don't you mention that visas have been denied for most of the management and administrative staff, technical advisors, and other personnel who are indispensable to any national football team?'

The Iranian Embassy in Turkey added: 'You have now escalated the deliberate discriminatory treatment against the Iranian national football team to the highest level.'

Iranian media, including the sports news site 'Varzesh3', reported on Tuesday that members of the Iranian delegation, including Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj and several administrative and analytical staff, had not received visas.

The Iranian national team had originally planned to base its World Cup training camp in Tucson, Arizona, USA, but later moved it to Tijuana, a border city in northwestern Mexico.

Iran will begin its World Cup campaign on November 16 in Los Angeles, first facing New Zealand, then continuing in Los Angeles to play Belgium, before heading to Seattle to face Egypt. (Translator: Gao Zhaofen / Editor: Liu Shuqin) 1150606