Overview
- U.S. authorities have granted Iran’s national team permission to enter the country two days before its scheduled Seattle match while keeping a rule that the delegation must leave the United States after that game.
- The Department of Homeland Security and the White House FIFA task force said the extra travel day was a conditional exception made after observing the team’s prior transfers proceed without incident.
- Iran moved its training base from Tucson to Tijuana to manage U.S. entry limits, and the squad will cross from Tijuana to Seattle for the match; several support staff and officials remain denied entry to the U.S.
- Iranian players and coaches have publicly complained that one-day arrivals hurt preparation and recovery, and they have sought the same logistical treatment other teams receive under FIFA movement norms.
- The measures reflect heightened visa and security scrutiny tied to the wider conflict involving Iran, and the federation is weighing formal complaints to FIFA over what it calls unequal operational conditions.