The Iran football team won’t get any immediate relief from the strict travel restrictions in the United States during the FIFA World Cup, with the officials confirming that the curbs will continue for the team’s matches against Belgium and Egypt in Los Angeles and Seattle, respectively.
The US has imposed strict restrictions on the Iranian team for the World Cup matches in the country, with the team only allowed to set foot on US soil 24 hours before the match and leave immediately after the contest.
Following the draw against New Zealand at the SoFI stadium, Iran was told to leave the US immediately after the match, leaving the coach Amir Ghalenoei furious. Amir said that his players had cramps and planned a recovery night in California, but they were told to pack their bags and leave for Tijuana, their base camp. He called the the most oppressed team.
US Stands Firm On Travel Curbs
Iran also threatened to lodge a complaint with FIFA over the travel curbs during the ,however, the US played down threats and said that the current plan will continue for now, adding that the US will continue to assess Iran’s situation and discuss the plan for the team’s third game against Egypt in Seattle.
“The situation is dynamic,” Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament, told Reuters in Houston. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon [after the match against Belgium], they will take the 27-minute flight back to Tijuana.
“We will see how it goes for match two, and then there will be discussions the day after in terms of what it looks like for match three in Seattle.”
Giuliani also defended the travel restrictions on Iran and said that the team’s decision to shift their base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico worked well for everyone involved.
“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was good for everybody involved. Certainly it reduces their travel time to Los Angeles too,” he said.
“Their flight is an hour shorter than it would be from Tucson. And we’re happy with the way that things went for match one in Los Angeles.
“I would just point to the fact that all players have received visas. All the coaches have received visas. There are some team officials that have not received visas, and that’s because we’ve seen some derogatory information on them, and this is the balance that we talk about.”
‘Goal Is To Protect Rights Of American Citizens And International Visitors’ – Andrew Giuliani
Giuliani added that the US’s goal has been to protect the interest of American citizens and all the international visitors who are coming to the United States.
“We want to make sure we have this incredible soccer tournament, where people are welcome and enjoy the World Cup, while also making sure that we are not just protecting American citizens, but we’re also protecting all those international visitors that are coming here,” he said.