AssetID: 55546089
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Iran Says It Will Not Participate in 2026 World Cup
Caption: Iran Says It Will Not Participate in 2026 World Cup. Ahmad Donyamali said Iran will not participate in the 2026 World Cup after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed the country’s leader. The minister said Iran could not compete in a tournament hosted partly by the United States following the assassination of Ali Khamenei. Donyamali told state television that the current conditions made participation impossible and that Iranian citizens were not safe. The 2026 tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran had already qualified and was placed in Group G with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. All three of Iran’s scheduled group-stage matches were set to be played in Los Angeles and Seattle. Iran was also the only nation absent from a recent planning summit organized by FIFA. The decision comes as regional tensions continue following the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Sports,Ahmad Donyamali,Iran,World Cup,boycott,Ali Khamenei,FIFA World Cup 2026,United States host,Los Angeles matches,Seattle matches,Iran sports minister,war,United States,Israel
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