Iran boycotting World Cup draw citing visa restrictions for soccer officials

DUBAI United Arab Emirates AP Iran has decided to boycott the World Cup draw in Washington next week because the U S denied visas to members of its delegation the state-run IRNA news agency informed on Friday The agency quoted Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi as saying that executives faced visa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations There was no immediate comment from the White House Alavi announced the federation had reached out to FIFA and hoped it could help resolve the issue Soccer s ruling body didn t without delay reply to a request for comment President Donald Trump s administration declared in June a voyage ban on citizens from countries including Iran The list also included Haiti which last week qualified for the World Cup Exemptions however were promised for any athlete or member of an athletic group including coaches persons performing a necessary encouragement role and immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state It is unclear whether the exemptions also apply to the World Cup draw which takes place on Dec at the Kennedy Center Related Articles Greta Thunberg banned from Venice after state protesters dye Grand Canal green Russia outlaws Human Rights Watch as crackdown on dissent continues Death toll from floods in Thailand reaches as receding water reveals widespread damage Hungary s Orb n seeks more Russian oil and gas at Kremlin talks with Putin Israeli forces kill at least people in southern Syria raid functionaries and residents say The Iranian delegation would have been expected to be led by its soccer federation president Mehdi Taj one of the greater part senior functionaries in Asian soccer and a member of two FIFA committees that have oversight of the World Cup He is one of the vice presidents of the Asian Football Confederation and a member of FIFA panels with responsibility for the ruling body s competitions plus men s national club soccer in general A record teams will participate in the June -July World Cup co-hosted by the the U S Canada and Mexico