According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, after holding consultation meetings, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) and national sports officials have decided not to withdraw from the World Cup, but have demanded that the hosts provide security guarantees for the national team.
Reports state that the FFIRI, the management of the Ministry of Sports, and national regulatory and security bodies held a special meeting.
Mehdi Taj, President of the FFIRI, has stated on multiple occasions that the Iran national football team qualified for the World Cup through points, rather than being invited.
Now, Mehdi Taj and Sports Minister Ahmad Dounamalli have jointly issued a resolution: FIFA and the United States government, as the World Cup hosts, must provide the necessary security guarantees so that team members can participate in training and official matches under FIFA’s supervision without any problems whatsoever.
This stance shows that the FFIRI and national sports authorities will never back down, and are waiting for the security guarantee requirements for the international tournament to be fulfilled before travelling to the United States to compete.
