"Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist. Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people."
"After this attack [on Iran], we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope. If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?"
Iran's sports minister Ahmad Donyamali announced that Iran will not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, citing the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States as the reason. The US-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28, resulting in 1,255 deaths and over 12,000 wounded in the first 12 days. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases. Donyamali emphasized that children are unsafe and participation conditions do not exist. The head of the Iranian Football Federation previously expressed doubts about participation without explicitly confirming a boycott. This marks the first official government statement on the matter since the February 28 attacks.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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