Iran negotiating with FIFA to move World Cup games out of the US
Iran’s soccer federation has said it is having talks to see if it can play its World Cup matches outside of the US.
The World Cup is meant to bring nations together collectively to celebrate competition and soccer, but the reality of real-world politics can make these meets quite tense.
For political reasons, nations might not always be on the best terms, and this is certainly the case for Iran and the US.
The World Cup is set to get underway in the US in under three months, and tensions between Iran and the US due to the ongoing conflict has complicated the situation.
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Iran’s participation was called into question when the host US launched joint air strikes with Israel at the end of February.
What has Donald Trump said about Iran’s involvement in the World Cup?
Speaking on social media last week, Trump suggested that it would not be ‘appropriate’ for the Iranian soccer team to participate in the World Cup.
In a Truth Social message, he said: “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."
Trump faced some pushback from users on other social media platforms for these comments, and the Iranian soccer team addressed the POTUS’ comments in their own statement.
Why does Iran want to move its World Cup matches out of the US?
The tournament is due to kick off on June 11 in the US, Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Despite the team’s apparent dedication to attend the soccer tournament, the Iranian soccer president, Mehdi Taj, said the failure to guarantee their safety is reason enough to move their matches out of the US.
In a post on Monday, he said: “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America. We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”
Are Iranian soccer players at risk by participating in the World Cup?
While it is not clear whether the players believe their lives are in danger in competing, they took issue with the host’s inability to guarantee their safety in the first place.
Writing on Instagram, the team’s statement read: “The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA - not any individual, country.
“Iran's national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament.
“Certainly, no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is one that merely carries the title of 'host' yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event.”
The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran
The rest of the world is beginning to see the impacts of this conflict as the price of oil is expected to rise in multiple nations around the world.
This comes as Iran decided to block the Strait of Hormuz, a body of water next to Iran where a fifth of the world's oil passes through.
This has meant that more than 1,000 cargo ships, mainly oil and gas tankers, have been blocked from passing through.
This act has seemingly frustrated Trump, who firmly called on his NATO allies to get more directly involved with the conflict and aid the US in securing the area.
On March 15, Trump claimed there would be a ‘very bad future’ in store for NATO if there was 'no response' or a 'negative response' to his demands.
Smaller NATO members Greece and Italy have already signaled they will not be participating in the US’ conflict in the Middle East.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a press conference this week that he would not deploy troops without a legal basis and a 'properly thought-out plan'.
He also said that the best and fastest way to restore oil flows from the Gulf to the rest of the world was to reach a 'negotiated agreement' to end the war in Iran.
Gerrard Kaonga