Iran is "fully prepared" to play at the 2026 World Cup according to Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokeswoman for the Iranian government.
The comments, which Mohajerani made to state broadcaster IRIB, were the clearest indication yet that Iran is planning on traveling to the United States for the tournament this summer.
Iran's participation has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes in late February, igniting a conflict across the Middle East that has not fully abated.
Per Al Jazeera, Mohajerani said that Iran's Ministry of Youth and Sports had made all the required arrangements for Team Melli to participate in the World Cup.
Last month, Iran's sports minister declared that "under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup." But the country has yet to formally withdraw and appears to be softening its stance.
Iran was among the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, and is scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
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As a workaround, Iran requested that its games in the U.S. would be moved to Mexico. But Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed earlier this month that FIFA rejected that request.
Still, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed confidence that Iran would play all of its matches in the U.S. as scheduled.
"The Iranian team is coming, for sure. Yes. We hope that by then of course the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come," Infantino said last week at the Invest in America Forum.
U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Infantino awarded the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize in December, has expressed hostility to the idea of Iran traveling for the tournament.
In March, Trump said “I really don’t care" whether Iran participated, then went one step further a week later by warning that the team may not be safe if it does travel to the United States.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran 'fully prepared' to play at 2026 FIFA World Cup