Italy’s repechage to World Cup, threat of'Iran infuriates US

The current geopolitical situation casts several shadows on Iran’s participation in the upcoming World Cup to be held between the United States, Mexico and Canada starting June 11. Peace talks are underway between the U.S. and Iran to seek a solution but currently an agreement still appears far off.

Further fueling the tension was Abolfazl Shekarchi, a high-level spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, who said that any new aggression against Iran will receive a “much harsher” response that will extend beyond the region’s borders. Al-Jazeera writes this. Shekarchi’s words infuriated Donald Trump and could have repercussions for Team Melli as well.

The underlying problem regarding the Iranian national team’s participation in the rainbow competition is related to the visa issue: the U.S. continues to deny some members of Iran’s staff and team access to its country due to ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stressed that the U.S. has an obligation to allow the team entry. “The United States has a duty to provide all the necessary conditions for the unhindered participation of the Iranian national team,” Baqaei said during a press conference on Monday.