Iran bans sports teams from traveling to countries it deems 'hostile'

Iran has banned its national and club sports teams from traveling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, citing concerns over the safety of its athletes, Iranian media reported Thursday.

“The presence of national and club teams in countries considered hostile and unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” the Sports Ministry said.

The ministry added that the Iranian Football Federation and clubs must inform the Asian Football Confederation so that match venues can be relocated if necessary. It mentioned Tractor FC’s upcoming match against a United Arab Emirates team in Saudi Arabia but did not specify which venues would be affected or which countries are considered hostile.

Iran has qualified for this year’s World Cup, hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. However, the team’s participation has been uncertain following heightened tensions between Iran, the U.S., and Israel since late February.

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that Iran’s national team would be welcome to play in the U.S., though he raised concerns about their “life and safety.”

The Iranian Football Federation is reportedly discussing with FIFA the possibility of moving its World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico, Federation President Mehdi Taj said last week.

Currently, the Iranian squad is in Turkey preparing for friendly internationals against Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday.

-Reporting by Enas Alashray and Parisa Hafezi; additional reporting by Martyn Herman in London; Editing by Mark Porter and Rosalba O’Brien/Reuters