The US Department of Homeland Security is revising its travel arrangements for Iran's national football team ahead of its third World Cup match on Friday, NBC News has reported.
The team will now be allowed to travel to Seattle, Washington, two days before their game, allowing for an extra day beyond the 24-hour window given to Team Melli for its first two games.
But the team will still be asked to depart for its home base in Tijuana, Mexico, after the match wraps up.
"Ahead of the match in Seattle on June 26, the Iranian team will be allowed to come in match day minus two, so two days before the match. They'll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match," a DHS spokesperson said.
"Again, the President wants to make sure that we're talking about what actually happens on the pitch," the statement continued. "A lot of that is making sure that things are safe and secure, not just around the stadiums, but around base camps and training sites."
Formal complaint
The change follows the Iranian football federation's announcement that it intends to file a formal complaint with FIFA regarding how the team has been treated during its stay in the US.
The team was forced to move its World Cup base from Arizona to Tijuana after visa issues affected several federation officials and support staff.
Iranian officials have also complained about restrictions affecting delegation members, media access and fans attending matches in the US.
And yet Iran earned a draw in each of their first two matches and can advance to the knockout stage for the first time in history with a win — and potentially a draw — in their final group-stage match.
Egypt top the group standings with four points after one win and one draw.
