Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, time is running out but…
There is still no certainty as to which will be the fourth team in the World Cup group that already includes Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. The closer Canada, the United States and Mexico get to the start of the tournament, the more likely it is to be one between Iran and the United Arab Emirates but anything can still happen.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has called U.S. behavior “contradictory and excessive,” arguing that it poses a strong obstacle to the diplomatic path. The statements came during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, as reported by Al Jazeera. Araghchi also recalled previous broken promises from Washington, explaining that these very precedents fuel Tehran’s deep distrust of the U.S. establishment. Finally, the Iranian diplomatic chief made it clear that Iran’s participation in the negotiations to end the conflict stems solely from what he called a “responsible approach.”
According to Sky News Arabia reports, the latest proposed agreement sent by Tehran to Washington is based on three central points: the lifting of international sanctions against Iran, the unfreezing of Iranian assets frozen abroad, and the lifting of economic restrictions imposed on the country. The plan would also include the cessation of tensions and conflicts in the various regional scenarios, including Lebanon. This was reported by Iran’s deputy foreign minister.
On the strictly soccer front, geopolitical tension is directly reflected in the participation of “Team Melli” in the World Cup. The central issue remains that of visas: no entry documents have been issued to the United States for Iranian players at the moment, and Tehran Football Federation officials suspect a full-fledged boycott by the Trump administration.
An additional element of complexity concerns players who have served mandatory military service in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Canada. Tehran has asked for explicit guarantees for these elements as well, a request that could conflict with security protocols prepared by Washington. Andrew Giuliani, head of the U.S. Task Force for the World Cup, told The Sun that the United States “will do everything and stop at nothing” to ensure the safety of teams and fans, pointing out, however, that “whenever you are dealing with a country involved in ongoing tensions or conflicts, the security framework changes.”
