The US is easing its restrictions on Iran's World Cup team, allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before its next match, the US Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The team will still be required to leave after Friday's match in Seattle, a department spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation confirmed that the team will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle.
"This was planned on our end," Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told The Associated Press. "We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time."
The policy change was first reported by NBC News and comes as officials from both countries negotiate over how to end the war in Iran.
Iran's squad has complained about the travel restrictions levied on the team, and the challenges it has faced since the outbreak of war. Iran originally sought to move its group stage matches to Mexico, with whom it has diplomatic ties. The team's base camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana. Several team officials and members of the support staff have been barred from traveling into the US with the team.