Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Newsmax on Tuesday that requiring Iran's World Cup team to return to its training base in Mexico after its opening match in Los Angeles was a reasonable security measure amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran's national team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign Monday with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles. After the match, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team was unexpectedly ordered to leave the United States and go back immediately to its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, rather than remain overnight in California for recovery.
On "American Agenda," Wolf said the arrangement was consistent with what U.S. officials have indicated was the original plan.
"According to the U.S., this was always the plan," Wolf said. "They were always going to play their match and then return back to Tijuana."
Wolf noted that Iran has been training in Tijuana and traveling into the United States for matches.
"Affording them the opportunity to come in and play but asking them to return back to their training base essentially, I think, is more than fair," he said.
Ghalenoei reportedly said after the match that his team had expected to remain in California overnight before returning to Mexico.
"They didn't even give us time to recover," he said through an interpreter. "After the game today, they said to us, 'You have to leave immediately.'"
Wolf suggested that security concerns likely played a role in the decision.
"There were also some incidents with some of the delegation, the team's delegation, where they were not given [entry], presumably because of security concerns," he said. "We know that the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and others are heavily embedded into all elements of that national government there in Iran."
"You've got to be on the alert that you don't want to have individuals come into the U.S. that aren't properly vetted," Wolf added.
When asked whether terrorist groups could attempt to exploit a major international event such as the World Cup, Wolf replied: "Yeah, absolutely. So, you've got to be on guard."
Wolf said Iranian players and most coaches were granted visas and allowed to compete but stressed that "security is paramount here."
"Just because you're somehow affiliated with soccer or football doesn't mean that you get a pass from any security issues that may arise," he said.
Iran relocated its World Cup training base to Tijuana after diplomatic and security complications related to the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Several Iranian officials and staff members reportedly were denied U.S. visas before the tournament.
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