In December, the State Department didn’t grant visas for all of the Iranian officials who planned to attend the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. Iran threatened to boycott the ceremony, prompting FIFA, the international soccer governing body, to step in. This time, though, Iran’s sports minister said Wednesday that the country would not be competing.
“Given that this corrupt government assassinated our leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], there are no conditions which allow us to participate in the World Cup,” Ahmad Donyamali said on Iranian state television. If Iran follows through and doesn’t take part, it would face a heavy fine and possible ban from future international competitions.
Iran was drawn in Group G in the tournament, and is scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, California, not far from Los Angeles’s massive Iranian diaspora community, nicknamed “Tehrangeles.” But the odds are narrowing that they would get to see the team play live.
