Iran To Boycott World Cup Draw Due To Anger Over Limited Us Visas For Iranians

Iran will boycott nan tie for adjacent year’s World Cup successful protestation astatine nan United States’ constricted allocation of visas for members of nan Iranian delegation, nan country’s shot federation has announced.

The United States has long-standing strict visa restrictions connected Iranians for governmental and information reasons. It was presumed wrong Iran, however, that argumentation would not widen to adjacent Friday’s arena successful Washington.

“The Iranian delegation will not beryllium coming for nan World Cup tie successful narration to nan latest position of issuing visas for nan Iranian delegation to be nan tie ceremony,” federation spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi was quoted arsenic saying by Iranian sports news website Tarafdari connected Friday.

Alavi was quoted arsenic saying that nan US had granted Iran only 4 visas for nan draw, including nan caput coach, Amir Ghalenoei, but had not granted a visa to federation president, Mehdi Taj. “Given that nan decisions taken are unsportsmanlike and nan way has deviated from nan sporting process, it was decided that nan Iranian delegation will not be nan tie ceremony,” added Alavi.

The federation has been successful interaction pinch Fifa and informed its president, Gianni Infantino, of nan decision. “Fifa has said it will travel up connected nan matter seriously,” Alavi is quoted arsenic saying by Tarafdari.

Iran secured qualification for nan World Cup successful March pursuing a 2-2 tie pinch Uzbekistan successful Tehran, sealing a seventh quality astatine nan tourney and 4th successful a row.