The Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) is no longer an independent sporting body; it has been systematically transformed into a propaganda and security arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States government.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon in North America, there is an urgent need for the United States government to strictly adhere to its national security laws. We urge the U.S. Department of State, Senator Marco Rubio, and USCIS to invoke Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to deny visas to specific individuals who have provided material, ideological, and propaganda support to the IRGC and Hezbollah (FTOs).

The entry of such individuals contradicts the foundational values of safety and presents severe security risks. Specifically, we demand visa denials for:

• Mehdi Taj (IRIFF President): A former IRGC intelligence commander who was recently deported from Canada on security grounds. He has publicly stated the federation must follow the path of IRGC military casualties and symbolically presented the national team jersey to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief.

• Mehdi Torabi & Affiliated Players: Individuals acting as active operational propaganda assets. Torabi has publicly militarized his sporting role, referring to the national team as a "trench" and his call-up as a "weapon."

• Players Endorsing FTO Military Strikes: Documented video evidence shows national team players (including Saleh Hardani, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Alireza Beiranvand, Shojae Khalilzadeh, Ali Alipour, Aref Aghasi, under the coordination of Head Coach Amir Ghalenoei) explicitly endorsing IRGC aerospace missile operations and appearing in propaganda videos featuring the flags of Hezbollah (FTO).

Football symbolizes unity and peace, attributes starkly compromised when manipulated to promote ballistic missile strikes and terrorist ideologies. We urge the U.S. government to take firm action now. By denying these visas, we reinforce the commitment to combating terrorism and ensure the 2026 World Cup remains devoid of operatives supporting terroristic actions.