Iran's World Cup Team Flees to Turkey to Dodge US Visa Ban—Here's How They're Getting In
Iran's World Cup Team Flees to Turkey to Dodge US Visa Ban—Here's How They're Getting In
Turkey’s national football team has ended a 22-year World Cup drought, securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA tournament with a 1-0 away win over Kosovo in Pristina [117338]. The team will compete in the 48-team tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026 [117338].
Meanwhile, Iran’s men’s soccer team is traveling to Turkey to prepare for the World Cup, using the trip to bypass a major hurdle: getting U.S. visas [151258]. Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, meaning Iranian players cannot apply for American visas at home [151258]. The team plans to complete the visa paperwork while in Turkey, allowing them to enter the U.S. for the tournament [151258].
The developments come as hundreds of Iranians are crossing the border into Turkey amid military strikes by Israel and the United States that entered a fourth day [91786]. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country’s main priority is to secure a ceasefire in Iran and create an opportunity for talks [91786].
On the military front, Turkey has taken command of a major NATO naval force, leading the NATO Amphibious Task Force and its Landing Force Command from July 1 until the end of June next year [54453]. Turkish naval and army units are also conducting joint amphibious operations in Germany as part of the large-scale NATO exercise Steadfast Dart 2026, showcasing domestically produced defense platforms [80228]. Separately, approximately 2,000 Turkish troops deployed to Germany’s Wunstorf Air Base for the Steadfast Defender 24 drills from February 8 to February 20 [70222].
Turkey has joined a new international task force led by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to find and eliminate the final remnants of Syria’s chemical weapons program [106495]. The mission will provide specialized training, equipment, and technical support for safe detection, storage, and destruction of remaining materials [106495].
In a separate diplomatic push, Turkey simultaneously enacted three major international agreements: an investment protection pact with Hong Kong, a separate trade deal with Hong Kong, and ratification of the UN’s High Seas Treaty for marine biodiversity conservation [36056].
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