US refuses to ease Iran World Cup travel restrictions for Belgium match

Andrew Giuliani says Iran’s players volition not beryllium allowed to enactment longer for their radical matches successful the US.

The United States volition not easiness the question restrictions connected the Iranian squad for their World Cup matches successful Los Angeles and Seattle contempt the ⁠team saying they would lodge a ailment with FIFA, the cohost nation’s apical tourney authoritative has confirmed.

The US volition proceed to measure the Iran squad’s question arrangements, but for present the archetypal program remains successful place, Andrew Giuliani, enforcement manager of the White House Task Force for the tournament, told the Reuters quality bureau connected Saturday.

Iran are unhappy astatine restrictions that mean they tin lone question to venues wrong 24 hours of their ⁠fixtures and indispensable depart backmost to their grooming basal successful Tijuana, Mexico, straight aft each game, with manager Amir Ghalenoei suggesting his broadside were “the astir oppressed squad successful the full World Cup”.

The Iranian delegation near the US hours aft the full-time whistle astatine their archetypal World Cup lucifer against New Zealand past week.

The Group G lucifer ended astatine astir 8pm section clip (03:00 GMT), and Iran returned to their basal campy successful Mexico wrong a fewer hours, prompting disapproval of the US handling of their visas arsenic the squad did not get a time to retrieve astatine their hotel.

Ghalenoei said the squad had expected to walk the nighttime successful California to maximise the mean betterment process aft their opening game.

The US faced further pushback as Iran winger Mehdi Torabi’s introduction visa expired aft the archetypal game. Team officials confirmed Tuesday day that they had secured him a new, multiple-entry visa allowing him to question into the US for aboriginal matches.

“This contented has been resolved,” the US Department of State said.

The aforesaid question protocol volition beryllium successful spot for Iran’s fixture against Belgium connected Sunday.

The Iranian squad was owed to get successful Los Angeles connected Saturday evening, astir 24 hours earlier kickoff clip for their match.

Iran’s subordinate Alireza Jahanbakhsh touches his forehead to the Quran arsenic helium departs from Tijuana, Mexico, connected Saturday [Gabriela Aoun Angueira/AP Photo]

‘Situation is dynamic’

Giuliani, however, says the concern is fluid and they volition sermon what measures volition beryllium successful spot for Iran’s 3rd crippled against Egypt successful Seattle connected Friday.

“The ‌situation is dynamic,” Giuliani said successful Houston. “We person a program close now. Tomorrow day [after the lucifer against Belgium], they volition instrumentality the 27-minute formation backmost to Tijuana.

“We volition spot however it goes for lucifer two, and past determination volition beryllium discussions the time aft successful presumption of what it looks similar for lucifer 3 successful Seattle.”

Giuliani defended the measures successful spot and said the pre-tournament alteration successful grooming bases for the broadside from Tucson to Tijuana had shortened Iran’s question time.

“The displacement from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was bully for everybody involved. Certainly it reduces their question clip to Los ⁠Angeles too,” helium said.

“Their formation is an hr shorter than it would beryllium from Tucson. And we’re ⁠happy with the mode that things went for lucifer 1 successful Los Angeles.

“I would conscionable constituent to the information that each players person received visas. All the coaches person received visas. There are immoderate squad officials that person not received visas, and that’s due to the fact that we’ve seen immoderate derogatory accusation connected them, and this ⁠is the equilibrium that we speech about.”

Giuliani said the extremity has ever been to support the interests of the US and the planetary visitors astatine the World Cup.

“We privation ⁠to marque definite we person this unthinkable shot tournament, wherever radical are invited ⁠and bask the World Cup, portion besides making definite that we are not conscionable protecting American citizens, but we’re besides protecting each those planetary visitors that are coming here,” helium said.

He revealed that nary threats to the tourney had been identified, but that officials stay vigilant.

“What I tin archer you is our quality assemblage has ‌tripled down connected this since the opening of this year,” helium said. “We’re successful discussions each hr connected it. But determination person been nary credible threats astatine this moment.”

Giuliani has been pleased with the opening 10 days of the World Cup.

“Things are going arsenic planned,” ‌he ‌said. “It’s been fantastic to spot the large play connected the pitch, that seems to beryllium the bulk of the conversation, which has been fantastic.”