Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has ruled out the possibility of Iran playing at the World Cup in the United States because of the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The statements came amid heightened military conflict. According to Iranian authorities, the United States and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes against Iran since February 28.
Officials report that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during these operations.
In a television interview with the DPA news agency, Iran’s Sports Minister, Donyamali, explained why the national team might not travel to the tournament. The World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 18 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“Since this corrupt government murdered our leader, we do not have the conditions to participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali stated.
The minister pointed to the ongoing violence as the main reason for the possible boycott. “Because of the malicious measures taken against Iran, we were forced to fight two wars in eight or nine months, and thousands of our compatriots were killed. Therefore, we have no possibility of participating under these circumstances,” he added.
Iran qualified for the tournament and is drawn to play its three group-stage games on American soil. The team is scheduled to face Belgium and Egypt in Inglewood, California, followed by a match against New Zealand in Seattle, Washington.
Previous Tensions with Women’s Team
The threat to skip the World Cup follows issues involving the Iranian women’s national team. According to reports, six players chose to remain in Australia after competing in the Asian Cup. They reportedly received humanitarian visas to stay there.
Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, hinted at a boycott following that incident. He linked the situation in Australia to the upcoming tournament in the US.
“What sensible person would send their national team to the United States if the World Cup were as political as it was in Australia?” Taj asked.
FIFA and US Response
Despite the tensions, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the United States is open to Iran’s participation. Infantino wrote on Instagram that he met with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. According to the FIFA president, Trump confirmed that Iran’s team “is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States” despite the ongoing war.
It remains unclear if Iran’s withdrawal threat is final. FIFA has not yet commented on how it would handle the situation if Iran officially pulls out of the competition.