Iran bars sports teams from travelling to ‘hostile’ countries citing safety concerns

Iran has prohibited its national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it deems “hostile”, citing concerns over the safety of athletes as conflict continues to grip the West Asia.

The directive, issued by Iran’s Ministry of Sports in Tehran and reported by state television, comes just days before Tractor FC were due to play a key Asian Champions League Elite playoff match against Shabab Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

In its statement, the ministry said: “The presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice.”

The move reflects growing instability across the region, where the ongoing conflict has led to missile strikes, drone attacks and widespread disruption affecting multiple countries.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had only recently rescheduled western zone playoff matches that were postponed due to the conflict. The games are now set to take place in Jeddah on 13 and 14 April, with the Saudi city also scheduled to host the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final between 16 and 25 April.

Iranian authorities have instructed the national football federation and clubs to inform the Asian Football Confederation of the decision, with the expectation that affected matches will be relocated.

The travel ban has also cast uncertainty over Iran’s participation in upcoming international competitions, most notably the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is due to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June.

While the ministry’s announcement did not directly reference the tournament, Iranian officials have already raised concerns about playing matches in the United States. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico has indicated that discussions are under way with FIFA to move the team’s group-stage fixtures from the US to Mexico.

However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has signalled resistance to any such changes, stating that the tournament is expected to proceed as planned.

Iranian officials have said they do not intend to boycott the World Cup but argue that sending the national team to the United States may not be feasible given ongoing military action involving both the US and Israel since late February.

With regional tensions showing little sign of easing, the ban on travel to “hostile” countries introduces fresh complications for international sport, raising questions over scheduling, venue security and the ability of teams to participate in major competitions.

With PTI inputs