affects

Iran is heading to the World Cup while the country is at war with a host nation, a situation that is unique in the tournament’s history.

The United States-Israel war on Iran began on February 28, and there has been an uneasy ceasefire in place since April 8, but the uncertainty – and occasional flare-up in hostilities – means an end to the conflict is far from certain.

For the Iranian players and staff, the situation has thrown their World Cup preparations into chaos – all of their matches are scheduled to be played in the US.

The Iran team has spent more than two weeks in Turkiye, mostly practising at the coastal resort Antalya, and some travelled to the capital, Ankara, to submit visa applications at the US embassy.

The team’s participation in the event in the US, Canada and Mexico has long been in doubt and, with the visa situation still up in the air, nothing can yet be fully guaranteed.

“Well, to be honest, it’s not easy,” said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielder who also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“This is going to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kinds of things,” he told The Associated Press news agency in English on the sidelines of a training session on Wednesday.

“But at the end … it is going to be difficult for us because, at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people.”

The team is set to travel to Mexico this weekend after receiving visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. The team said Thursday that the process of obtaining entry permits had been finalised for all members of the squad.

Problems with visa processing meant Iran’s World Cup training base was moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico’s border with California.

Iran will play its first two games near Los Angeles, which has a large Iranian community, many of whom oppose the current government.

“So for sure, we are expecting to have a lot of fans during our games at the stadium,” Ezatolahi said. “And this is going to be a lot of pressure for us because the expectation is going to be high. I just wish we can make them proud and show them that Iranians, they are prepared for every hard job in the world,” he said.

Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, is going to his first World Cup for Iran.

“It’s true that we are facing special circumstances right now, but we are football players, and we have to play, practise, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead,” the Abu Dhabi-based player said in Farsi.

“On the other hand, we know that our people have been going through a lot of difficulties throughout the war, and we are going there for them, to get the best results for their joy and the joy of the people of our country.”

The US and Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials in their initial attacks. Iran responded with strikes targeting Israel, US forces and the Gulf Arab states. It also has maintained a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf, imperilling global energy supplies.

Despite the nominal ceasefire, Iran and the US have yet to negotiate a permanent end to the war, and attacks continue in the region.

Iran is in Group G with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt and Iran’s team is not required to enter the US until June 14, one day before its first match against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood.

Iran returns to Inglewood to face Belgium on June 21 and completes Group G in Seattle, against Egypt on June 26.

“I’m really proud to be part of my national team,” said Ezatolahi, whose career has taken him to play for clubs in Spain, Russia, England, Belgium, Denmark, Qatar and now Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

“We need to clear up our minds and be fresh because our target and our duty is to fight for our people, to represent our country and to show how good we are,” he said.

Ghorbani agreed, saying the team wants to bring joy to Iranians.

“The best message I can give right now is that the Iranian team is showing what it means to be a team,” he said. “We are showing that we are one team under one flag that can bring joy to our whole country, and to show the power of Iranian players and Iranian people to the world.”

The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11. You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.

For hundreds of thousands of people, today’s wars and genocides will never truly end.

The violence that civilians endure leaves deep, lasting scars – physical, psychological and life-altering. Long after the fighting stops, those wounds continue to shape daily life and entire communities for decades to come.

Join Ali Rae for episode three of All Hail the Military, a five-part series that reveals the systems, power and hidden complicities that sustain global militarism – and the profound impact it has on us all.

April 24 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday that the Coupang regulatory dispute is affecting security consultations between South Korea and the United States, while stressing that Seoul is seeking to keep the corporate matter separate from alliance negotiations.

Wi made the remarks during a briefing at a local press center in Hanoi, where he accompanied President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to Vietnam.

“The Coupang issue is a corporate issue,” Wi said. “But it is true that the Coupang issue is affecting security consultations between South Korea and the United States.”

His comments came after 54 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, urging Seoul to end what they called discriminatory regulatory actions against U.S. companies, including Coupang.

Wi said South Korea has been discussing the matter with Washington and has argued that linking the Coupang issue to security talks is not desirable.

“Our position is that the Coupang matter should proceed according to legal procedures, while security negotiations should move forward as security negotiations,” Wi said.

He said delays in security consultations are “also true” and added that such delays do not help the broader alliance.

“We believe they should not be delayed and should resume promptly,” Wi said.

Wi said the security negotiations have their own structure and balance, and Seoul believes they can proceed separately from the corporate dispute.

He also said Seoul has reviewed the letter from U.S. lawmakers and has contacted relevant members of Congress to explain the government’s position.

“We are making efforts to provide explanations and understanding,” Wi said. “There were letters before this as well, and we explained those matters too.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry said Thursday that investigations and measures involving Coupang are being conducted under domestic law and due process, without discrimination based on nationality.

Wi said Seoul will continue efforts to explain its position but acknowledged that U.S. lawmakers may express concerns about American companies.

“Whether that issue is connected to security consultations is another matter,” Wi said. “We are trying to respond to the two issues separately.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260424010007786