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  • Iran to File FIFA Complaint Over World Cup Travel Restrictions in United States

    Iran to File FIFA Complaint Over World Cup Travel Restrictions in United States

    The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran has announced plans to file a formal complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions affecting the country’s national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    According to Iranian football officials, visa uncertainties and ongoing regional tensions have forced the team to base itself in Mexico rather than the United States, where all three of its Group G matches are scheduled to take place.

    Under current arrangements, Iranian players and staff are reportedly permitted to enter the United States only within 24 hours of a match and must leave on the same day after the game. Iranian officials argue that these restrictions place the team at a competitive disadvantage compared with other tournament participants.

    National team coach Amir Ghalenoei described Iran as the “most oppressed” team at the tournament, claiming the travel requirements have disrupted preparation and recovery schedules.

    In a statement, the Iranian federation said the restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of equal treatment for participating teams and may negatively affect the squad’s technical and physical preparation.

    The federation also argued that its coaching staff had requested permission for the team to arrive in host cities two days before matches and return to its base the day after each game. Officials say that request was denied ahead of Iran’s opening Group G match against New Zealand national football team, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

    Neither FIFA nor the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had publicly commented on the complaint at the time of the report.

    Iran is scheduled to continue its World Cup campaign against Belgium national football team in Los Angeles on June 21 before concluding the group stage against Egypt national football team in Seattle on June 27.

    The dispute highlights the challenges that geopolitical tensions and immigration policies can create during global sporting events, particularly when tournaments are hosted across multiple countries and involve nations facing diplomatic or security-related restrictions.

  • Hamas Military Commander Killed in July Strike, Says Israel

    The Israeli military has confirmed that Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip last month.
    Deif was the target of an attack on a compound in the Khan Younis area on July 13. Hamas has not yet confirmed his death.
    Israel says Deif was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks in southern Israel that left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
    Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday during a visit to Iran. Israel has not commented directly on his death.
    In a statement released on Thursday, the Israeli military said that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated” in the July 13 attack.
    The Hamas-run Gaza health authorities said at the time that the airstrike killed more than 90 people, but denied that Deif was among the dead.
    Deif was widely seen as Hamas’ second-ranking official in Gaza, after Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in the territory.
    Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Deif’s death was “a significant milestone” in disbanding Hamas.
    “This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated,” he added.
    Mohammed Deif is the leader of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement.
    For decades, he was one of the most wanted men by Israel and survived seven assassination attempts.
    According to Israeli and Palestinian media, Deif was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza in 1965, when the territory was occupied by Egypt.
    In the 1980s as a young man, he joined Hamas and quickly rose in rank.
    Israel accused him of plotting and overseeing bombing of buses that killed dozens of Israelis in 1996, and of being involved in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s.
    Deif is also known for helping build tunnels that allow Hamas militants to enter Israel from Gaza.
    In 2002, he assumed the position of head of the military wing of Hamas.
    In 2014, Israel tried to kill Deif by launching an airstrike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza, killing his wife, Widad, and their infant son, Ali.
    Israel thought Deif was also killed, but he was not in the building at the time.
    In the current conflict, Deif is suspected of directing Hamas military operations from underground tunnels inside Gaza.
    Confirmation of Deif’s death came at the end of a tumultuous week in the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raised fears of a wider regional war.
    On Saturday, 12 Israeli children and teenagers were killed after a rocket hit a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Lebanon-based Hezbollah, vowing that it would pay a heavy price.
    On Tuesday, Israel responded by launching an airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr and four others, including two children.
    Hours later, Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed in an attack on the building he was staying in during a visit to Tehran, the capital of Iran.

    Source: BBC News