Iranian commentator Beni Sabti, citing Iranian television, reports that the U.S. State Department will issue visas to Iran's World Cup team members that allow them to sleep on American soil during the tournament. The report reflects Iranian media discourse rather than an official U.S. confirmation.
The claim, attributed to Iranian state television by commentator Beni Sabti, addresses a shift from earlier U.S. policy toward Iran's national soccer team during the 2026 World Cup. Previous reports indicated that Iranian players would be permitted to enter the United States only on the day of each match and would need to return to a base in Mexico immediately afterward. If confirmed, the reported new visa terms would allow the team to stay overnight in the U.S. during the tournament.
As The Zioneer reported on June 9, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had initially allowed entry only one day before matches, with players expected to lodge outside the country between games. The same day, Iran accused the U.S. of revoking ticket allocations for Iranian supporters. The latest claim, circulating in Iranian state-aligned media, has not been independently verified by an American official source and should be treated as an unconfirmed report from an adversarial state's broadcasting apparatus.
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