Iran demands guarantees for World Cup participation

Iran demands guarantees for World Cup participation5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePooria JaferehBBC World Service SportAFP via Getty ImagesIran has indicated it will take part in this summer's football World Cup, but has demanded a series of guarantees from Fifa and the tournament's hosts amid growing tensions surrounding the team's participation.The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) said Iran would compete at the tournament "without any retreat from our beliefs, culture and convictions", while insisting the hosts "must take our concerns into account".The demands come after FFIRI president Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada before last month's Fifa Congress. Taj later revealed Iran had presented Fifa with 10 conditions for participation at the World Cup, which begins on 11 June in the United States, Mexico and Canada.Among the demands published in a statement on Saturday are guarantees that all players, coaches and officials travelling with the team will receive visas, including those who completed military service with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).The group is listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada and the US, and Mehdi Taj's links to it were cited as a reason he was denied entry into Canada.Iran is also seeking assurances over the treatment of the national team, including respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem, as well as enhanced security at airports, hotels and stadiums during the tournament. Some of the requests are likely to prove easier for Fifa to influence than others.Fifa can help oversee tournament logistics, official protocols and the treatment of participating delegations during the competition itself. But questions involving visas, border controls and security vetting ultimately remain under US jurisdiction rather than Fifa regulations.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already stated that Iranian footballers would be welcome at the tournament,...