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U.S. Expands Iran Soccer Team’s Allowed Time in Seattle to Two Days Before World Cup Match
The Department of Homeland Security adjusted entry rules for Iran’s national team ahead of its June 26 game in Seattle. The team may now arrive two days prior but must depart the same evening.
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The Department of Homeland Security will permit Iran’s national soccer team to enter the United States two days before its June 26 World Cup match in Seattle, a department spokesperson told NBC News. The team must still leave for its base in Tijuana, Mexico, the evening the match ends. The adjustment expands the previous 24-hour window applied to the team’s first two games in Los Angeles.
Iran tied both of those matches and needs a victory over Egypt on Friday to advance. The Iranian soccer federation said it plans to file an official complaint with FIFA over the team’s treatment. ” The team’s base camp was moved from a planned site in Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana in late May.
Other nations in the tournament have been allowed longer stays for training and recovery. Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA Task Force, said discussions about easing the restrictions were underway. The policy change occurs against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, which began in late February.
Trump stated Tuesday that Iran has “fully and completely agreed” to nuclear inspections extending far into the future.
