Iran to boycott World Cup draw in Washington

The Iranian football federation announced on Friday that it will boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington after the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the delegation.

"We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw," the federation’s spokesperson told state television.

Reports earlier this week indicated that the US had declined visas for key delegation members, including the federation president Mehdi Taj. Taj criticized the decision on Thursday, describing it as politically motivated.

"We have told the head of FIFA, mister Gianni Infantino, that it is purely a political position and that FIFA must tell them (US) to desist from this behaviour," Taj said.

According to reports, four members of the delegation, including coach Amir Ghalenoei, were granted visas and are expected to attend the draw on December 5. Iran qualified for the World Cup in March, marking their fourth consecutive appearance and seventh overall. While the team has never advanced past the knockout stages, their 2-1 victory over the United States in the 1998 finals remains a historic moment. The US defeated Iran 1-0 in their 2022 matchup.

Relations between the US and Iran have been tense for decades. Earlier this year, high-level nuclear talks were held but ended abruptly following a military escalation in June after 'Israeli' strikes on Iranian targets, in which the US briefly participated.