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A man with direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) attempted to enter the United States on Saturday by posing as the president of the Iranian football federation, taking advantage of the team's move to the 2026 World Cup.
U.S. authorities detected him and prevented him from boarding the plane.
According to the report from Washington Examiner, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, revealed the incident this Sunday on Fox News during the program Sunday Morning Futures.
Mullin explained that the investigation into the individual revealed that he had been appointed to that position only in 2022, which raised concerns.
"When we began to investigate him, we discovered that he had only been in that position since 2022, and we did not allow him to board the plane," Mullin stated. "The guy who was trying to get on the plane on Saturday had direct ties to the IRGC."
The State Department had promised to block entry to anyone with direct connections to the IRGC, an organization designated as a terrorist entity by Washington and a key player in the armed conflict between the two countries during the early months of 2026.
The Iranian team is based in Tijuana, Mexico, from where they cross into U.S. territory only the day before their matches and must leave the country the same night of the game.
The Iranian federation had requested permission for the delegation to travel to Los Angeles two days before their group match against Belgium, scheduled for this Sunday, but the request was denied despite having submitted their preparation schedule in advance.
As a result of these restrictions, Iran filed a formal complaint with FIFA, arguing that players cannot adapt to the environment of each host city.
Mullin indicated that he had held "multiple conversations" with the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, regarding the travel restrictions on the Iranian team, although he did not elaborate on the content of those discussions.
The diplomatic context is extremely tense: just on June 17, the U.S. and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war, and this Sunday both parties are negotiating a definitive peace agreement in Switzerland.
Travel restrictions are a direct consequence of the armed conflict between Washington and Tehran, which included U.S. attacks on IRGC facilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran on June 11.
The Trump administration had imposed a total visa suspension for Iranian nationals since June 2025, forcing the team to set up its camp on Mexican territory in order to participate in the tournament.
Iran's next match in the World Cup will be against Egypt in Seattle later this week.
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