Iran says US must issue multiple-entry visas for its World Cup squad

Iran’s delegation will be based in Tijuana, Mexico, and will travel to the US for all three group stage matches.Iran’s delegation for the World Cup must be issued multiple-entry visas for their fixtures in the United States, a top official of the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) said two days after FIFA confirmed the relocation of the team’s base camp from the US to Mexico.FFIRI president Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday that he expects the US to issue visas for the World Cup squad and support staff for the tournament kicking off in three weeks.“The US should give all players multiple-entry visas as they would have to leave and re-enter the US many times,” Taj told local reporters in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.The Iranian squad has not been issued US visas yet.Several members attended visa appointments in Turkiye, where they have been training, last week.Players and staff who travelled to Turkiye from Iran applied for US visas, while those who had not applied for them before the start of the war on Iran in February also submitted their visa applications in person at the embassy.Meanwhile, the whole squad applied for Canadian visas in case Iran proceeded to the knockouts allocated to venues in Canada.The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, leading to a regional conflict that has now lasted three months.Despite a ceasefire in place, the US carried out strikes on Iranian military sites on Wednesday and, in return, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched an attack on an “American airbase” in the region.Iran’s team will open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California, where they will face Belgium six days later. Iran’s last Group G game is against Egypt in Seattle, in Washington state, on June 21.