President Donald Trump prolonged a considerably two-faced invitation to Iran’s nationwide soccer workforce on Thursday to take part within the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Trump mentioned the workforce is welcome to affix the match, however he appeared to warning in opposition to doing so, almost two weeks after the USA and Israel attacked Iran.
“The Iran Nationwide Soccer Staff is welcome to The World Cup, however I actually don’t consider it’s acceptable that they be there, for their very own life and security,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “Thanks on your consideration to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Trump’s feedback got here only a day after Iran’s sports activities minister mentioned the workforce could be barred from taking part within the match because of the ongoing warfare and the killing of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Contemplating that this corrupt regime has assassinated our chief, not at all can we take part within the World Cup,” the minister informed state tv on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
The workforce has participated in six World Cups, most not too long ago within the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the place it completed third in Group B behind the U.S. and England. The workforce’s first World Cup look got here in 1978, because the Islamic Revolution was underway.
The sports activities minister’s assertion and Trump’s subsequent invitation come simply days after seven members of Iran’s nationwide girls’s soccer workforce had been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after the workforce traveled to the Ladies’s Asian Cup previous to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, CNN reported earlier this week.
The members granted visas included six gamers and one member of the workforce’s help workers, who selected to not return to their house nation for worry of persecution. The remainder of the workforce departed Sydney on Tuesday, Australian House Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed to CNN.
