Iran has told its athletes to stay away from countries it labels hostile, citing security concerns, and that order is already colliding with international football fixtures.

What the Sports Ministry announced

The ministry said national and club teams are prohibited from going to countries that are considered hostile and that cannot ensure the security of Iranian athletes and staff. The ban is in place until further notice and does not list which countries are considered hostile.

From the ministry statement: "The presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice."

The ministry added that the football federation and clubs must inform the Asian Football Confederation so affected games can be relocated.

Immediate impact on Asian Champions League fixtures

The order specifically put the spotlight on Tractor SC, which was drawn to play Shabab Al Ahli of Dubai in a playoff that the Asian Football Confederation scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia. The AFC had also rescheduled postponed western zone playoffs for April 13 and 14 in Jeddah, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final planned for April 16 to 25 in the same city.

The Iranian ministry did not say whether those Saudi-hosted dates would be permitted or which other venues would be off limits. Clubs and the federation face the task of asking the AFC to move games if they cannot send teams.

What we know

  • The ban applies to national and club teams until further notice.
  • No public list of named hostile countries was released.
  • Tractor SC is directly affected because of its playoff that was set to take place in Saudi Arabia.
  • The federation and clubs have been told to notify the AFC to seek relocation of fixtures if needed.

World Cup complications

The ministry statement did not mention the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Iran has qualified for that tournament, but there has been a separate dispute over whether Iran will play its group matches in the US.

The Iranian ambassador in Mexico City said Tehran has been negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's three group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico. That effort followed public concerns raised by the US president about safety if Iran traveled to the US.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has pushed back on moving matches, saying the governing body wants the tournament to proceed as scheduled. Iranian officials say they do not want to boycott the World Cup but have argued the national team cannot travel to the United States because of recent joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran that led to the outbreak of war on February 28.

Where the national team is now

The Iran national squad is in Turkiye preparing for friendly matches. They are scheduled to face Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday while staff and officials continue talks about international fixtures and safety.

Next steps: Football authorities and clubs will need to coordinate with the AFC and FIFA to clarify which matches can proceed, which must be moved, and how to protect players while keeping competitions on track.

Short version: Iran has placed a travel ban on teams to countries it deems unsafe, and that decision is already complicating continental fixtures and adding pressure to World Cup logistics.