9 hours agoWhite House: Iran players receive visas for US World Cup
Periskopi(7 days ago)
(7 days ago)Iran's football players participating in the World Cup have been given visas to enter the United States, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles, in a period of tension between the two countries.
A White House official has confirmed that visas were issued in the last minute, as earlier the team had not yet received the necessary US entry documents.
“They were given overnight,” said the White House official.
Meanwhile, Iran's Ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said Thursday that the team had not yet received American visas.
According to reports, Tehran has negotiated in the last minute a shift of team base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico, due to visa problems and growing concerns in Iran for downplaying the team's presence in the US.
The team is expected to arrive in Tijuana early Sunday morning. Iran will play the first G Group match on June 15th against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where it will face Belgium and then Egypt in Seattle.
Iran's “football players who will participate in the World Cup have been given visas to enter the United States, a White House official said Friday, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles amid a conflict between the two countries. ”
Iran's “Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh said Thursday that the team had not yet received American visas. ”
“They were given overnight,” said the White House official.
Iran's war has reportedly turned the World Cup into a geopolitical race, with both sides using the tournament for political purposes.
It is the first World Cup since 1930 in which a host country is expected to host a country with which it is at war.
