The ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel could now spill over into the world of sports. Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali has suggested that the country may not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup following the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US operation.
Speaking to Iranian state television on Wednesday, Donyamali made it clear that the situation has deeply affected the nation. He said Iran cannot take part in a tournament hosted by a country it currently considers responsible for the assassination of its leader.
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“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister said.
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The United States is scheduled to co-host the next FIFA World Cup along with Canada and Mexico. Iran have already qualified for the tournament and, according to the current schedule, all of their group-stage matches are set to take place in American cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle.
That arrangement has become a major sticking point amid the growing geopolitical tensions.
The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began on February 28 and has since escalated dramatically. Reports indicate that the war has claimed more than 1,200 lives and left over 12,000 people injured.
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, US military bases in the Middle East and several strategic installations across the region.
Against that backdrop, Iranian authorities say the country is currently in no position to focus on sporting events.
“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said. He added that Iran has been forced into multiple wars in recent months and has suffered heavy casualties.
“This situation has taken thousands of lives. Under such circumstances, it’s impossible for us to think about participating normally,” he added.
This marks the first time a senior government official in Iran has openly questioned the country’s participation in the World Cup since the conflict escalated.
Last week, Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also expressed doubts about the team’s involvement. While he stopped short of announcing a boycott, his comments reflected the uncertainty surrounding Iran’s plans.
“After this attack on Iran, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj said on Iranian television.
He also questioned whether sending the national team to the United States would even be realistic under the current circumstances. “If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” he asked.
Interestingly, FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently revealed that US President Donald Trump has assured him that Iran would be welcome to compete in the tournament.
Infantino said the topic came up during discussions about preparations for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
In an Instagram post, the FIFA chief said Trump reiterated that Iran’s national team would be allowed to participate despite the tense geopolitical situation.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote. Iran were actually the first nation to secure qualification for the World Cup, which is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19.
However, with tensions continuing to escalate in the Middle East, whether Iran ultimately takes part in the tournament remains an open question.
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