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By Matthew Robinson and Jordan King
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Iran's soccer federation has said that its ticket allocation for the FIFA World Cup has been pulled just days before the tournament is set to start.
The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said it had already begun the process of selling tickets, but could no longer sell any to fans ahead of Iran's first match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
"This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches," the FFIRI said.
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"Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.
"This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organization of the world's biggest football event."
For every World Cup match it plays, a participating federation receives 8 per cent of the available tickets, which it assigns to fans using its own selection process.
The Context: The War in Iran
Iran's participation in the World Cup has been overshadowed by the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which escalated after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and subsequent military exchanges between the countries.
President Donald Trump has accused Iran of planning to build a nuclear weapon and destabilizing the Middle East through its support for armed groups in the region, but Iranian officials have rejected those accusations, portraying the conflict as a response to what they describe as U.S. and Israeli aggression.
The geopolitical tensions have created an unusual backdrop for a tournament intended to showcase international cooperation, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
In March, Trump discouraged Iran from participating in the World Cup, saying he did not think it was “appropriate,” while Iran’s sports minister said in the same month that it would “not be possible” for the team to take part in the World Cup.
But Iran’s team pushed back, saying “no one can exclude” it and the country's soccer federation said later that it would participate in the tournament.
Iran’s Visa Row With US
Iran has been embroiled in a visa and access row with the U.S. for months.
Members of its soccer team were granted visas to enter the country on Friday, 10 days before their first match, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Iran's soccer federation said on Saturday that the U.S. had denied visas for some of its support staff.
“The US government, in a non-sporting and completely political decision, refused to issue visas for important managerial and administrative members of Iran’s national football team,” the federation said.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Saturday that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued.”
“We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses,” an official added, according to Front Office Sports.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department, via online contact form outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Issues with the team’s visas led to Iran’s training camp base being moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico’s border with California
After it’s first game, Iran is also set to play against Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26.
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