Iran FA Chief Taj Demands FIFA Guarantee IRGC Will Not Be Insulted — New Condition Before Zurich Meeting

Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj issued a new political condition on May 6: FIFA must provide official guarantees that the United States will not insult the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 'Our host is FIFA, not Mr. Trump or America,' Taj said. The demand follows Taj's own April 29 denial of entry to Canada due to alleged IRGC ties, causing him to miss the FIFA Congress. He confirmed a Zurich meeting with FIFA President Infantino later in May. The condition is near-impossible to satisfy: the US officially designates the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Iran's football federation separately posted World Cup kit photos on May 5, signaling the federation — if not the government — is preparing for the tournament. The provisional squad is due May 11 and the final 26-man roster due June 1.