Iran cannot participate in World Cup, sports minister says

TEHRAN: Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday. The United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran nearly two weeks ago, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, leading to a region-wide conflict in the Gulf. “Considering that this corrupt regime has ⁠assassinated our leader, ⁠under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television.

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