The White House has disclosed that deliberations are underway to ease the strict travel restrictions on Iran, to enable them have more time to better prepare for their subsequent matches in the United States at the ongoing 2026 World Cup.

According to the BBC on Saturday, the executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, Andrew Giuliani, disclosed this to Seattle-based KOMO TV News, following claims by Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei that they are the most oppressed team at the tournament.

Mr Giuliani said, “I know that the president wants to be able to really balance the competitive balance on the field while making sure we’re not compromising our national security.

“We want to make sure the Iranian team has the opportunity to come in and compete. What we have done for the Iranian team has been spectacular and credit to President Trump on this.

“He ended up signing an executive order to allow the team to come in and play the World Cup. They came in already to play in LA and they will again on the 21st.”

The consideration by the U.S. also followed the Iranian Football Federation’s vow, in a statement on Thursday, to lodge a complaint with FIFA after its request to travel to Los Angeles two days before Sunday’s tie against Belgium was denied.

The team’s base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of the tournament. As a result, they had to make a 127-mile charter flight from Tijuana International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport a day before their Group G opener on Monday against New Zealand, which ended 2-2.

After the match, Iran’s secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini said through a translator on Friday that, “Such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.

“We are the only team participating in the World Cup that arrives at the host cities just 24 hours before, and it is not fair. All these limitations have negative effects on our players, both physically and mentally.”

Article 18.3 of FIFA’s 2026 World Cup regulations stipulates that, “Each team shall travel from its team base camp to the match venue one day before matchday (MD-1) and in exceptional cases on MD-2, and shall return to their team base camp after the match (on MD/MD+1).”

Iran will face Belgium on Sunday before their final group game against Egypt next Saturday.