In briefIranian World Cup players have been granted visas to play in the United States. Iran's participation in the tournament has been uncertain after the US and Israel launched strikes against the country in February.Iran's World Cup team have been granted visas to enter the United States, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles amid a conflict between the two countries.A White House official on Friday confirmed visas had been granted to players. A spokesman for Iran's World Cup federation could not immediately be reached for comment.The US had not yet issued visas to some members of the Iran team's technical and administrative staff, the semi-official Iranian Fars news agency reported on Friday."Visas for some members of the national team's technical and executive staff have not yet been issued, and the US embassy has so far refused to issue them," it said, without citing a source.News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.The war in the Middle East has turned the World Cup — the biggest global sporting event — into a geopolitical contest, with both sides appearing to use the tournament for political posturing.It is the first World Cup, since its inception in 1930, in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.Iran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, due to visa issues and a growing sentiment in Iran that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum.They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday local time. Iran is due to play their first Group G match on 15 June against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where they will also face Belgium before taking on Egypt in Seattle.The US had never formally said it did not want the Iran team to stay on its territory, Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh Pasandideh, said.However, US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday said that the US would not allow Iran to include in its World Cup delegation individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces.Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's soccer federation, was denied entry for the tournament draw in Washington in December. He is a former commander in the IRGC. All the FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on our World Cup pageHow to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on SBSWatch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at our On Demand hubIran's desire to compete in the World Cup underscored its efforts to reach a resolution in the war with the US, Pasandideh said."Iran's participation in the World Cup — even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy — shows that Iran seeks peace," Pasandideh said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter at the Iranian embassy in Mexico City.Progress in peace talks between Iran and the US has been slow, with both sides seemingly inching toward an interim agreement even as they continue to carry out military strikes.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.