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Iranian national team honors school bombing victims upon arrival in Mexico for World Cup

Members of Iran's national soccer team paid their respects to the reported 168 children who perished in the Minab school bombing upon their arrival in Mexico ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

On February 28, Iranian authorities reported that 175 people - the majority of whom were children - lost their lives in a Tomahawk missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in southern Iran. A subsequent investigation concluded that the U.S. was likely responsible for the attack, with American Central Command officers alleged to have generated the target coordinates using outdated intelligence.

The national squad departed their training base in Turkey on Saturday, embarking on a 20-hour trip to Mexico, where they will establish their World Cup headquarters. Iran had originally intended to set up camp in Tucson, Arizona, but relocated their training base late last month, as per The Mirror US.

Iranian national soccer team captain Ehsan Hajisafi speaks to the press after arrival at Tijuana International Airport

Upon touchdown, Iranian players - among them team captain Ehsan Hajisafi, midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand - were photographed wearing "#168" pins as they disembarked the aircraft.

This is not the first occasion that the Iran men's national team has honored the victims of the Minab school bombing. Back in March, players wore black armbands and carried school backpacks as the national anthem rang out before kickoff in a friendly match against Nigeria.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Iran has accused the United States of perpetrating the "worst possible form of politically biased interference in sports" after claiming that visas were denied to a "large portion" of its national football team's support staff.

In the run-up to this year's World Cup, the United States has enforced strict visa requirements that Iranian players must satisfy. Members of Iran's national squad are obligated to enter and depart America on the same day for their group stage fixtures, which include matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt.

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"We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day," Iran's envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters.

With only days left before the quadrennial tournament kicks off, Iran also alleged that visa applications for multiple members of its coaching staff and technical personnel were turned down. Iranian state television reported that Iran Football Federation secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini and vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi were among the 15 staff members refused U.S. visas.

Taking to social media, United States ambassador Tom Barrack praised the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for processing the Iran team's visas. U.S. officials confirmed that visas were issued to all players, coaches, trainers, and "necessary support staff" connected with the Iranian club.

The Iranian Embassy in Ankara responded sharply to Barrack's announcement, accusing the United States of breaching its World Cup host duties by escalating "discriminatory treatment" toward Iran. "You cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States' host obligations merely by praising yourselves," a statement read.

"Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team? You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level."

A memorial for the 168 children said to have died when the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School was bombed

The Iranian Embassy proceeded to claim that its national squad would be compelled to perform under "undue pressure and stress" as a direct consequence of how the United States handled the visa approval process.

"By extending your whimsical hostilities against the Iranian nation into the realm of sport, the U.S. government in practice is depriving Iran's national team of its right to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without undue pressure and stress," the message continued.

"This represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport. FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team."

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