U.S. loosens Iran's travel restrictions for next World Cup match
The Iranian soccer team will be allowed to travel to the U.S. two days before its next World Cup match in Seattle.Why it matters: There are strict travel restrictions on the Iranian delegation during the tournament, which is co-hosted by the U.S.For Iran's first two matches in Los Angeles, Iranian players were allowed to enter the U.S. the day before they played each match, White House FIFA Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani told AP last week.That represented a softening of the initial policy, which would have required Iran to fly to the U.S. on the same day as they played. There are no direct flights to Seattle from Iran's World Cup home base in Tijuana, Mexico. The latest: "For the Iranian team's third match in Seattle on June 26, the team has been permitted to come into the U.S. two days before the match. The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday."The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike," the agency said.Iran's next match is in Seattle on Friday, June 26 against Egypt. If Iran finishes second in its group, where it currently sits in the standings, the team will play its next match in Dallas.Catch up quick: Iran moved its base camp to Tijuana from Arizona just weeks before the tournament started as part of the compromised travel logistics. Iranian players also received their visas from the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, but several members of the football federation's staff were denied, according to the New York Times. Earlier in the tournament's preparations, Iran requested that all of its matches be moved to Mexico. But FIFA didn't change the fixtures.
