The Iran Football Federation has threatened to withdraw from the upcoming Fifa World Cup 2026.

The warning comes as tensions rise in West Asia due to the ongoing political conflict involving the United States, Iran, and Israel.

Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches in the US. Their fixtures include games against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium on June 21 in the same city, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said it is difficult to think about the World Cup at this point in time. He said the situation has created serious concerns, but the country’s top sports authorities will make the final call on participation.

“With what happened today (Saturday) and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that,” Taj told a Spanish media outlet.

The federation has also suspended the domestic football league until further notice.

Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the organisation is monitoring the situation.

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force, in reply to a speech by US President Donald Trump on X, posted a message on his account referencing the Iranian people, the military action and the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. Giuliani also said in the post: “We’ll deal with soccer games tomorrow — tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”

Iranian nationals are already prohibited from travelling to the US under Trump’s travel ban.

The ban, enacted in June 2025, carves out exemptions for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, travelling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event.” But last year, multiple Iranian delegates had visas denied ahead of December’s World Cup draw.

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East this week. It said the AFC Champions League Elite Round-of-16 games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in the West Region will be rescheduled.

The AFC Champions League 2 and AFC Challenge League quarter-finals scheduled for midweek in the West zone will also be postponed.