Although Iran will play some of its World Cup matches in the United States, the team is expected to be based in Mexico, specifically in the city of Tijuana.
Rubio said that, aside from the conflict that erupted between the United States and Iran in February, the U.S. has no issue with the Iranian national team or legitimate members of its delegation participating in the tournament.
However, he stressed that U.S. authorities would carefully screen those accompanying the team.
“What we will not allow is the inclusion of people whom we know have no connection to sports and are instead linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces and remains subject to U.S. sanctions and restrictions.
According to Rubio, American authorities will closely scrutinize visa applications and accreditation requests to ensure that individuals with military or security affiliations are not included in the delegation under the guise of sporting participation.
Iran’s team is expected to stay in Tijuana and travel by air to the United States for matches, with flights estimated to take approximately 55 minutes. The arrangement allows the team to participate in the tournament while being based outside U.S. territory.
