Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Kazem Ghalibabadi noted that he was not directly involved in the follow-up of the issue, but stressed that the host country has an obligation to ensure the participation of all teams and their representatives, and that Iran has lodged a formal objection.
He said the football federation’s decision to boycott the draw was the “right thing to do”, adding: “If a visa is only issued to one person, it stands to reason that that person can decide whether to attend the draw or not.”
He criticized certain countries for abusing their status as hosts, calling such behavior “inappropriate and unacceptable” and saying excluding some countries from sporting events by refusing to grant them visas violates professional and athletic principles.
Gharibabadi also stressed that Iran will continue its efforts to remove obstacles to athletes’ participation in international competitions, adding that such measures should not affect the motivation of Iranian athletes. He expressed his hope that the Iranian national team will continue to bring pride to Iran on the world stage.
MNA