Iran announce winger Torabi gets multi-entry visa for World Cup games

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a] national team are commuting from their tournament base in the ‌Mexican border city of Tijuana for their three World Cup group-stage ‌matches, the first two in Los Angeles and the third in Seattle.[/p][p]The ‌FFIRI said earlier on Tuesday that while most of the squad ‌had multi-entry visas, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torabi-mehdi/Gfrgsy3I/"]Torabi[/a]'s was valid only for one entry and they were trying to get him another before Iran's second group match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] on ‌Sunday.[/p][p][b]"Following efforts by the Football Federation and coordination ⁠with FIFA, the player was ‌issued a new multiple-entry visa today," the FFIRI said in a statement later ​on Tuesday.[/b][/p][p][b]"With this visa now secured, Torabi will have no issues accompanying Iran’s national team in its upcoming matches and ​will be available to travel with the squad throughout the remainder of the tournament."[/b][/p][p]Torabi, an unused substitute in Monday's 2-2 draw with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]⁠New Zealand[/a], is an ardent ​supporter of the Iranian government and has links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).[/p][image alt="Iran - New Zealand match momentum" id="e15b2ed0-74d5-40c9-a936-0a3343abdd0f" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="8b675a13-b99e-4b17-bc2f-f10d891c17b3" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]During the 2019 anti-government protests, he wore a T-shirt on the pitch during a club match reading: "The only way to save the ‌country is to obey the leadership."[/p][p]The 31-year-old was also a regular presence at nightly pro-government rallies in Tehran's Valiasr Square that took place after US and Israeli air strikes on the Islamic Republic triggered a regional conflict in late February.[/p][p][b]The US government classifies the IRGC as a "terrorist entity", and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it would not allow anyone with links to the elite military force to enter the country with the players.[/b][/p][p]Iran's World Cup team supervisor Mahdi ‌Mohammad Nabi was among 15 FFIRI officials who were denied visas to ​travel to the U.S. for the World Cup games.[/p][p]This had ‌been set to be the first World Cup in which a host nation had received a country it was at war with until a peace deal was announced barely 24 hours before Monday's match.[/p][p]Coach Amir Ghalenoei said the travel chaos stemming from ⁠tensions between Iran and the U.S. ⁠had "oppressed" his players and ‌affected their performance against New Zealand.[/p]