Iran’s World Cup participation depends on team’s safety in the US: Minister

Iran’s team is preparing for the FIFA World Cup but may not travel for the tournament, Sport Minister Donyamali says.Iran’s football team is preparing for the World Cup, but a final decision on its participation in the tournament will be taken by the government, the country’s sport minister says.“If the safety of the national team’s players in the United States is ensured, we will travel to the World Cup,” Iran’s Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim news agency on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4What is tailgating, and has FIFA banned it at World Cup stadiums in the US?list 2 of 4‘Turning point’: How Marie-Louise Eta can blaze a trail for women in sportlist 3 of 4Israeli police destroy children’s footballs at Al-Aqsa mosquelist 4 of 4Panic in London: Have Arsenal lost their grip on the Premier League?end of list“The decision will be made by the government and the Supreme National Security Council,” he added.Team Melli are scheduled to play all their World Cup games in the US, one of the three host nations alongside Canada and Mexico, but their participation has been uncertain since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.The doubts surrounding Iran’s role in the tournament remain as a fragile Pakistan-mediated ceasefire between Tehran and Washington nears its deadline on Thursday.Donyamali, speaking to Iranian media, insisted that the team will continue to train for the World Cup regardless of the ongoing geopolitical tensions.“The national team may not go to the World Cup, but if we are going to participate, we must be ready,” he said.Iran’s Football Federation (FFIRI) asked FIFA to move its games out of the US last month, but the sport’s governing body said all World Cup fixtures will go ahead as scheduled, dismissing the possibility of Mexico hosting the Iranian team, citing logistical impediments.On Wednesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was “confident” that Iran would play in the World Cup despite US President Donald Trump’s earlier comments saying “it would not be appropriate” for them to participate.