Iran's football federation has announced that the men's national team will participate in the 2026 World Cup starting in June, but is demanding that co-hosts the United States, Mexico, and Canada meet its conditions amid the Middle East conflict.

The statement on Saturday follows Canada's refusal last month to allow the federation's chief to enter for the FIFA Congress due to his alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Canada designated a terrorist group in 2024.

Iran's presence at the tournament, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, has been uncertain since the US and Israel launched a war on the Middle Eastern country in February. "We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account," the federation said on its official website.

Iranian football federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj told state TV on Friday that Tehran has 10 conditions for attending, including visa guarantees, respect for the national team staff, flag, and anthem, and high security at airports, hotels, and routes to stadiums.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted Iranian players are welcome but warned that the US may bar entry to delegation members with IRGC ties. Taj stated: "All players and technical staff who have served in the IRGC, such as Mehdi Taremi and Ehsan Hajsafi, should be granted visas without problems."

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the US as scheduled. Iran, based in Tucson, Arizona, faces New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Group G, opening against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

Source: www.aljazeera.com