US Refuses to Ease Iran World Cup Travel Restrictions for Belgium Match The United States has confirmed it will not relax the strict travel restrictions imposed on the Iranian national football team for their World Cup matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, despite the team’s repeated complaints and threats to escalate the issue with FIFA. The decision comes as Iran’s squad, which is based in Tijuana, Mexico, faces logistical challenges that have drawn criticism from players and coaches. The restrictions require the team to travel to match venues within 24 hours of their fixtures and return to their training base immediately after each game, a policy that has been described as overly restrictive by Iranian officials. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament, reiterated the U.S. stance during a statement to Reuters on Saturday. He emphasized that the original travel plan remains in place, stating that the U.S. will continue to evaluate the Iran squad’s arrangements but has no intention of altering the current protocol. Giuliani’s comments came after the Iranian delegation left the U.S. shortly after their first World Cup match against New Zealand, which concluded at 8 p.m. local time. The team returned to their base in Tijuana within hours, prompting accusations that the U.S. is not providing adequate recovery time for players. Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed frustration with the travel restrictions, calling his team “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” He highlighted that the team had expected to spend the night in California to allow for normal recovery after their opening game, a practice common in international competitions.#us #iran #world_cup #amir_ghalenoei #mehdi_torabi
