March 26 (Reuters) – Iran has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the Sports Ministry, which said the move was due to concerns over the safety of its athletes.
“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 ministry said.
The ministry added that the Iranian football federation and clubs were required to notify the Asian Football Confederation so match venues could be relocated.
It cited club team Tractor FC playing a United Arab Emirates team in Saudi Arabia in its statement, but did not specify which venues needed to be relocated or which countries were deemed hostile.
Iran have qualified for this year’s World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, although their participation in the soccer tournament has been under threat since the conflict between the Islamic Republic and the U.S. and Israel began in late February.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that while Iran’s national team were welcome to play in the U.S., it might not be appropriate for their “life and safety.”
Iran’s football federation is in discussions with soccer’s world governing body FIFA about moving its World Cup matches to Mexico from the U.S., federation President Mehdi Taj said last week.
The squad is currently 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)
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