Iran’s strict travel restrictions at the 2026 World Cup are under review, with the White House now in active discussions about changing the terms ahead of the tournament’s latter stages.
The Iranian squad is currently permitted to fly into the United States just one day before each match and must leave the country on the same day the game is played.
Iran are based in Mexico for the duration of the tournament, and the restrictions were deemed manageable for their opening fixtures in Los Angeles, which is only a 30-minute flight away.
However, their third group match takes place in Seattle against Egypt on 27 June, a journey that could take up to three hours and has prompted fresh talks between officials.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, confirmed that “discussions going on” are taking place regarding the timing of Iran’s travel to and from Seattle.
Giuliani told KOMO TV News that there is a desire to balance fair competition on the pitch while maintaining national security standards as a firm priority.
“I know that the president wants to be able to really balance the competitive balance on the field while making sure we’re not compromising our national security,” he said.
“We want to make sure the Iranian team has the opportunity to come in and compete. What we have done for the Iranian team has been spectacular and credit to President Trump on this.”
Giuliani added that Trump had signed an executive order to allow Iran to participate in the tournament, saying: “He ended up signing an executive order to allow the team to come in and play the World Cup.”
Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei had described his side as the “most oppressed” team at the tournament after their opening 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles.
The Football Federation of Iran has called for the national team to be allowed to arrive in each host city two days before every match and depart the day after.
Iran’s federation stated the current conditions are “inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams” and could harm their preparation.
“Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with Fifa through the appropriate channels,” the Iranian team told the BBC.
Giuliani did not confirm whether Iran had been included directly in the ongoing discussions, and he did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Iran’s next fixture is against Belgium in Inglewood, Los Angeles on Sunday at 20:00 BST, with the Seattle match to follow shortly after.
