… In April, protesters gathered outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver called for Iran to be banned from the tournament, saying the team represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rather than the Iranian people. …
… In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched strikes on 21 targets at US bases in the region, one in Bahrain and the other in Jordan, while Kuwait’s army said it was also intercepting an attack. …
… Giuliani said Trump wants to make sure that there is a "level playing field" for all of the teams taking part in the World Cup "while also making sure that people that are directly working, let's say, with the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) have no ability to access the …
… The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its naval forces, has reportedly targeted cargo ships and deployed naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz. …
… Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted an air base used by US forces in retaliation, but did not say where. …
… Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj -- a former member of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- and two colleagues flew home after being "insulted" by Canadian immigration officers. …
… Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj -- a former member of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- and two colleagues flew home after being "insulted" by Canadian immigration officers. …
… Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj -- a former member of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- and two colleagues flew home after being "insulted" by Canadian immigration officers. …
… On April 1, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Singo’ei posted a tweet, in which he rebuked Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for what he termed ‘unjustified attacks on the critical infrastructure of GCC countries, not only on civilian security, but econ …
The U.S. carried out an eighth straight night of attacks against Iran after two U.S. military personnel were killed in Jordan and another went missing following an Iranian attack. The strikes, directed by President Donald Trump, targeted Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. carried out an eighth straight night of attacks against Iran after two U.S. military personnel were killed in Jordan and another went missing following an Iranian attack. The strikes, directed by President Donald Trump, targeted Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US carried out airstrikes on Sunday aimed to "punish" Iran over the first US military deaths since renewed hostilities, with the Iranian army announcing it targeted two US bases in Kuwait in response. A preliminary deal aimed at ending the war has collapsed as the two sides fight over the Strait of Hormuz, with 16 confirmed US military fatalities since strikes began on February 28.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck a U.S. air base in Jordan on Tuesday, while Jordan's armed forces reported intercepting four Iranian missiles. U.S. Central Command completed a five-hour wave of strikes on Iran, the third consecutive night of attacks.
The US and Iran exchanged strikes over the weekend, with the US conducting more than 140 strikes across Iran in response to Iranian attacks on a ship. Iran claimed to have closed the Strait of Hormuz and launched wide-ranging attacks on US bases and allies including Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, marking an escalation in hostilities.
The US launched strikes on over 80 Iranian targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to attacks on three oil tankers. Iran's deputy foreign minister called the strikes a violation of a US-Iran memorandum signed the previous month and warned that Tehran would "take decisive measures."
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused its planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was struck by what US officials said was Iranian fire. The IMO chief said the agency wanted to ensure "necessary safety guarantees" would continue.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran as both nations seek to end their war, though disagreement persists over Iran's claim that it closed the Strait of Hormuz. The talks follow a 60-day ceasefire agreement and an interim deal signed Wednesday by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian.
President Trump announced the United States had reached a settlement with Iran and said a signing ceremony could occur in Europe within days, but Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Foreign Ministry publicly rejected the claim, describing reports of a deal as false and warning of a "crushing response" to U.S. military actions.
The United States launched fresh attacks against Iran on Thursday, prompting Tehran to retaliate, marking the second straight day of tit-for-tat strikes amid a three-month war. US President Donald Trump accused Iran of dragging out negotiations and said it will "have to pay the price," while the strikes sent oil prices rising.
The US and Iran exchanged military strikes across the Middle East for a second consecutive day, straining a ceasefire agreed in April. The US conducted "self-defense strikes" targeting military and surveillance sites in southern Iran, while Iran responded by launching strikes at US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and claimed to have hit two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said the team will stop matches if unauthorised flags are displayed or slogans against the national team are chanted at World Cup stadiums. Iran opens their Group G campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles.
The US conducted strikes on Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz after an American Apache helicopter was downed on Monday. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated by launching drones and missiles at 21 targets at US bases in Bahrain and Jordan, with Kuwait also intercepting an attack.
The head of the White House Task Force for the World Cup defended the decision not to grant visas to a Somali referee and some Iranian team support staff. A US State Department official said the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations," making him ineligible for US entry.
A US-Israel military campaign against Iran that began in February 2026 has destabilized the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and gas shipments and triggering volatility in global energy markets. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against Israel, US installations, and commercial shipping in the region.
The US and Iran exchanged air strikes over the weekend near the Strait of Hormuz, with the US striking Iranian radar and drone sites and Iran retaliating against a US air base, while peace negotiations remain stalled despite a Trump administration proposal.
The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, for allegedly helping Iran obtain weapons and raw materials for Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. Treasury said it remains prepared to take further action against Iran's military industrial base and foreign entities supporting illicit Iranian commerce.
FIFA has invited Iran's football federation to its Zurich headquarters by May 20 to prepare for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed Iran will participate and play its games in the United States as scheduled, despite uncertainty arising from Middle East conflict.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reaffirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup and play their games in the United States as scheduled, despite uncertainty stemming from Middle East tensions since February.
FIFA's 76th Congress convenes in Vancouver less than two months before the World Cup opens across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with roughly 1,600 delegates expected to discuss the Iran war, World Cup logistics, and Russia's international ban. Iran's football federation officials abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, threatening to overshadow the meeting.
An opinion piece argues that recent actions by Kenya's foreign affairs officials—including a PS's tweet on Iran that contradicted stated neutrality, and the President's comments about Nigeria's English—reveal gaps in communication judgment and systemic foreign policy weaknesses.
Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for three weeks at a White House meeting brokered by President Trump, who said he was seeking "the best deal" to resolve the wider regional conflict despite ongoing fighting and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.