The Iran national team can enter the United States a day earlier than they were allowed to in previous World Cup matches, the Department of Homeland Security told ABC News on Tuesday.
“For the Iranian team’s third match in Seattle on June 26, the team has been permitted to come into the U.S. two days before the match,” a DHS spokesperson told ABC News.
“The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends. The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike.”
Iran’s base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of the tournament and the team said it is unfairly being made to travel to matches the day before games and return immediately after.
Read more:Iran leave note in dressing room thanking Los Angeles for World Cup hospitality
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Sunday his team played a “beautiful game” under the “worst possible conditions” in their 0-0 draw with Belgium at SoFi Stadium.
Ghalenoei said the team struggled against short travel windows and visa complications entering the United States and Mexico in recent weeks.
He also said the team had almost no time to properly prepare ahead of the tournament and a world-class opponent in Belgium, FIFA‘s No. 10-ranked team.
For their match in Los Angeles, Iran landed in the U.S. on Saturday night, played Sunday and then were forced to return to Mexico on Sunday night. They said they planned to lodge a complaint to FIFA after a request to travel to L.A. two days prior to the previous match was denied.
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Iran played to an opening 2-2 draw with New Zealand. They face Egypt on Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle
In an interview with ABC News last week, Andrew Giuliani, the White House World Cup task force executive director, pushed back on the criticisms from the Iranian team.
“I think that the United States has been more than fair,” he told ABC News. “We’ve gotten visas for all 31 of the players, gotten visas for every coach, so that way there can be competitive balance. So, I would respond by saying that they’re welcome for our hospitality.”
He also said there were visas denied for officials surrounding the team.
On Sunday U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News that an individual with direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tried to board the Iran team’s flight to Los Angeles from Mexico for Sunday’s World Cup match vs. Belgium.
Iran became the first team to participate in a World Cup hosted by a country with which it was at war after months of tension and doubts about their participation.
