Iran footballers issued US visas for World Cup, says White House

Key points

• Iran players get visas 10 days before their opening World Cup match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. Iran’s World Cup football players have been granted visas to enter the United States, according to a White House official, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles amid a conflict between ⁠the two countries.
• Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said late on Thursday the squad had still not received their US visas, but these were granted overnight, the White House official said.
• US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack confirmed the visas in a message on X on Friday.
• “Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States,” he said, commenting on a news report that Iran’s World Cup players have been granted the...