Khaberni - The Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth issued an official decision today, Thursday, prohibiting the travel of all national teams and sports delegations to countries that Tehran classifies as "hostile", until further notice.
This measure comes amid escalating military operations and current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region.
Reuters reported that the ministry has directed all sports federations to refrain from participating in any championships or training camps held on the territory of countries with which Iran does not have stable diplomatic relations or those that are considered parties in the current conflict.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup placed Iran in Group Seven, along with Egypt, New Zealand, and Belgium.
The Iranian authorities have also demanded federations start communicating with international sports bodies to shift their participations to "neutral grounds", if the matches are scheduled in countries included in the ban decision.
It is noted that players of the Iranian national team recently caused a crisis for the authorities in Tehran, having refused to chant the national anthem during their first match in the Asian Cup in Australia.
Some players have also filed for asylum in Australia, before most of them retracted after pressures and threats, according to newspaper reports.
