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06/06 09:57 CDT Iran's soccer team leaves for World Cup as some officials still
await US visas
Iran's soccer team leaves for World Cup as some officials still await US visas
By KHALIL HAMRA
Associated Press
ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) --- Iran's World Cup soccer team set off from Turkey for
their training base in Mexico on Saturday, with some members of their entourage
reportedly still without U.S. visas, before three group matches in the United
States later this month.
The Iranian Football Federation's secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its
vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were among 14 backroom staff and officials
without U.S. visas before games in Los Angeles and Seattle, according to
Iranian state television.
It was unclear whether the federation's president, Mehdi Taj, had been issued a
visa.
The team's participation in the World Cup has been complicated by the Iran war.
Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base
from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with
California.
The federation accused the U.S. of "vindictive behavior" in refusing visas for
"key managerial and administrative members" of the team.
The decision had "effectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity
for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination,"
according to a statement on the federation's website. It added that the
federation would pursue the matter through world soccer authority FIFA.
The Iranian Embassy in Ankara, meanwhile, responded to an earlier social media
post from U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack, in which he congratulated his embassy
staff for processing the Iran team's visas.
"You cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the
United States' host obligations merely by praising yourselves," the Iranian
post read. "This represents the worst possible form of politically biased
interference in sport."
One U.S. official earlier told The Associated Press that all players on the
Iranian team were approved for visas, while a second official said visas had
been issued for players, coaches, trainers and some support staff. A third
official suggested that some applicants affiliated with the team had been
rejected for requesting visas "under false pretenses."
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized
to discuss the visas publicly.
The squad has been preparing for the World Cup at a training camp in Antalya.
The team said that it has already received visas from the Mexican Embassy in
Ankara.
The players, dressed in blue blazers over white T-shirts, left the luxury
Mardan Palace hotel in Antalya on Saturday afternoon. They boarded a private
jet at the Mediterranean city's airport and were due to fly directly to Mexico.
Iran plays its first two games in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on
June 15, and Belgium six days later, then heads to Seattle to face Egypt on
June 26. Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in
Arlington, Texas, if both teams come second in their groups.
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump had discouraged Iran from participating
in the tournament, saying he didn't think it was "appropriate" and raising
concerns over players' "life and safety." A day later, Iran's national team
pushed back, saying "no one can exclude" it from playing.
Iran finalized its team on Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs
haven't played since February because of the war. Star forward Sardar Azmoun
was dropped in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered
Iranian authorities during the war.
Iran's sports minister said in March that it would "not be possible" for the
team to participate in the World Cup, but the republic's soccer federation said
in May that it was moving ahead with a team. The federation had insisted that
all players and staff be granted visas, including those who had military
service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
___ Seung Min Kim and Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.
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