WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin publicly expressed satisfaction with Iran's elimination from the 2026 World Cup and discussed visa restrictions imposed on the team. Mullin's comments on June 29 prompted a response from the Iran Football Federation on June 30.

Iran was eliminated from the World Cup group stage on June 28, finishing as the ninth-best third-place team. The top eight third-place teams qualified for the round of 32. Iran missed qualification on goal difference after a 1-1 draw with Egypt in their final group stage match on June 27, during which a stoppage-time goal for Iran was disallowed for offside.

Mullin stated he was glad Iran was eliminated from the World Cup. He affirmed, "I'm just glad they're done, and they're not coming back." Mullin further added, "I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil, and I might've sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance." He also noted, "There wasn't a single team that we had to spend more time dealing with than Iran." Mullin asserted that approximately half of the individuals Iran sought to bring to the U.S. were connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Before the World Cup, Iran's training base was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. The team was permitted to enter the U.S. one day before their first two matches and was required to depart on the same day as those matches. For their final group game in Seattle, travel restrictions were eased, allowing the team to arrive two days early. Iran returned to Tijuana after their final match in Seattle.

Iran Head Coach Amir Ghalenoei stated that Iran was treated unfairly during the tournament. "It was the host that wasn't very good to us. I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr. Infantino will actually stand up to such behavior," Ghalenoei said.

The Iran Football Federation issued a statement in response to Mullin's comments. The Federation stated, "Iranians are used to the mistreatment and lies of US officials, so no-one in Iran is surprised by these hostile remarks." The Federation added, "The fact that he openly celebrates Iran's elimination says far more about him than it does about our team. It reflects a level of pettiness that cannot even tolerate the presence of a football team competing on the world's biggest stage." The Federation further stated that Mullin's assertion regarding the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was "completely unsupported by any evidence."