Iranian footballer Mehdi Taremi detained at airport in the US

The Iran Football Federation announced that star forward Mehdi Taremi and assistant coach Saeed Alhoei were detained for 25 minutes by US officials while traveling from Mexico to Seattle.

Scraper SystemJune 25, 2026, 02:50 PM

Iranian footballer Mehdi Taremi detained at airport in the US

The Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) announced that its star forward Mehdi Taremi and assistant coach Saeed Alhoei were detained by US host officials at an airport. The incident occurred as the Iranian national team was transiting from Mexico to the United States.

In a statement, the FFIRI said, "During the national team's third trip to the US, the host officials caused problems for Saeed Alhoei and Mehdi Taremi, delaying the convoy heading to Seattle for the match against Egypt." The statement did not give a reason for the delay but noted that the duo rejoined the delegation after 25 minutes and departed for Seattle together.

The Iranian national team, which arrived for the World Cup under the shadow of the US-Israel war, has set up its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico. The Iranian delegation had previously traveled to Los Angeles for two matches, returning to Mexico immediately after the games. The third match will be played in Seattle on the West Coast of the US.

The incident came a day after US officials claimed they had eased travel restrictions on the Iranian delegation. Under the new regulations, the Iranian delegation was allowed to travel to Seattle two days before the match, but the condition to leave the country immediately after the match remained in place.

Iranian players and sports officials reacted to the treatment of Team Melli by the American hosts. US officials claimed the restrictions were related to security but provided no details on how internationally recognized athletes staying in the country could pose a threat.