The United States will not ease travel restrictions on the Iranian team for their World Cup matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, despite Iran's complaints to FIFA, confirmed Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament.

Iran is required to travel to venues within 24 hours of matches and return immediately to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, after each game. Coach Amir Ghalenoei described his team as "the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup."

After their opening match against New Zealand, the Iranian delegation left the US within hours, without an overnight stay for recovery. The match ended around 8 pm local time.

Iran winger Mehdi Torabi's entry visa expired after the first game, but the US State Department confirmed a new multiple-entry visa was issued.

The same travel protocol applies for Iran's match against Belgium on Sunday. The team is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday evening, about 24 hours before kickoff.

Giuliani stated the situation is dynamic and measures for the third game in Seattle will be discussed later. He defended the restrictions, noting that moving the training base from Tucson to Tijuana reduced travel time.

All players and coaches have received visas, but some team officials were denied due to "derogatory information." Giuliani added that no credible threats to the tournament have been identified, but security remains vigilant.

Source: www.aljazeera.com