Iran has banned national and club sports teams from traveling to countries it considers «hostile» until further notice, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the Sports Ministry, which said the measure was due to concerns over the safety of its athletes.
“The presence of national and club teams in countries considered hostile and unable to guarantee the safety of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that the Iranian Football Federation and clubs were obliged to notify the Asian Football Confederation so that match venues could be moved.
It cited club team Tractor FC playing a United Arab Emirates team in Saudi Arabia in its statement, but did not specify which venues had to be moved or which countries were considered hostile.
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Iran has qualified for this year’s World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, although its participation in the tournament has been under threat since the conflict between the Islamic Republic and the US and Israel began in late February s4tg2ed.
US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that while the Iranian national team was welcome to play in the US, doing so might not be «appropriate for the «lives and safety» of the players.
Iran’s football federation is in talks with FIFA, soccer’s governing body, about moving its World Cup matches from the US to Mexico, federation president Mehdi Taj said last week.
The team is currently preparing in Turkey for friendly matches against Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday.
Published on March 27, 2026
