"The claim is so unfounded that those who made it are well aware such an incident never occurred." That's Iran's football federation, firing back at US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after he told Fox News that an individual with direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to board Iran's team flight from Mexico to Los Angeles ahead of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Belgium.
Mullin didn't name the man. He said the individual had only been added to the delegation since 2022 and was blocked from boarding. He also revealed that while most World Cup squads travel with around 120 personnel, the US had only accepted 53 from Iran's party — claiming the rest had "direct ties to the IRGC and aren't their normal traveling group." Eleven members of the delegation have been denied visas entirely.
Iran's federation president has his own IRGC history
The federation called Mullin's claims "completely unsupported by any evidence or documentation" and accused the US of using fabricated allegations to justify what it described as discriminatory restrictions. That's a strong counter — but the context here matters. Iran federation president Mehdi Taj is a former high-ranking IRGC intelligence officer. The IRGC is designated a terrorist organisation by the US State Department. That background makes it difficult for Iran to fully escape the scrutiny, regardless of whether this specific incident happened the way Mullin described.
Iran's players and staff have been forced to base themselves in Mexico rather than Tucson, Arizona, shuttling across the border for matches. Coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team wasn't allowed to arrive two nights before the Belgium game as planned, and wasn't told why. "Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup," he said.
Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh kept it simple after the Belgium draw: "We don't ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams."
Politics bleeding into preparation
Whether you believe Mullin or the federation, the operational disruption is real and measurable. Disrupted travel, reduced staff, uncertain logistics — none of it is conducive to a team trying to build momentum in a World Cup group stage. Iran held Belgium to a goalless draw, which is a decent result on paper, but they now head to Seattle to face Egypt with the same restrictions hanging over them.
The federation has said it will file a complaint with FIFA. Iran are asking for equal treatment. The US government is standing by claims it hasn't publicly documented. And in the middle of it all, a football team is trying to prepare for a World Cup.
