ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Thursday announced a ban on sending sports teams to events in countries it considers “hostile,” ahead of a match between an Iranian club and an Emirati team set to be held in Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s Ministry of Sports and Youth said in a statement carried by the ISNA news agency that “the presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice.”
The ministry cited “reports about a confrontation between the Tractor team and a team from the Emirates in Saudi Arabia” in the AFC Champions League as the reason behind the decision.
Iranian side Tractor FC was set to travel to Saudi Arabia to face Dubai’s Shabab Al-Ahli in a playoff match, with the winner advancing to the Asian Champions League Elite quarterfinals to take on Thailand’s Buriram United.
“The Football Federation and clubs will be obliged to notify the Asian Football Confederation of this matter in order to relocate the games,” the statement added.
The US and Israel on February 28 launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper reported on Thursday that the operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, struck more than 10,000 targets across Iran, aiming to achieve “clear military objectives of eliminating Iran’s ability to project power in meaningful ways beyond its borders.”
In response, Tehran has continued to carry out drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in the region, particularly in Gulf Arab states, and has launched retaliatory attacks against Israel.
The Iranian sports ministry's decision comes less than three months before the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and for which Iran’s national football team has qualified.
Iran has not yet decided whether it will withdraw from the globe’s top soccer competition.