Iran on Thursday announced a ban on sending sports teams to events in countries considered “hostile”, ahead of a scheduled game between an Iranian and an Emirati club in Saudi Arabia
It comes nearly a month after US-Israeli attacks on Iran sparked the Middle East war on February 28.
The Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth announced 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”, according to a statement carried by the ISNA news agency.
It cited “the publication of some news about the confrontation of the Tractor team against a team from the Emirates in Saudi Arabia” in the AFC Champions League as the reason behind the ban.
“The Football Federation and clubs will be obliged to notify the Asian Football Confederation of this matter in order to relocate the games,” it added.
The move comes months before the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in June.
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