Iranian officials set to miss pre-World Cup FIFA meeting after turning back at Toronto airport

VANCOUVER/TORONTO, April 29 : An Iranian football federation delegation, including a ​former member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said they turned back at Toronto's main airport this week, citing their treatment by Canadian immigration, and are set to miss a pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the delegation members, including federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeni and his deputy Hamed Momeni, turned back upon arrival despite holding valid visas, citing what was described as the "unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials."

The Iranian delegation was en route to Vancouver for Thursday's FIFA Congress, which is meant to bring together representatives of all 211 member associations ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

"While Mehdi Taj, president, Hedayat Mombeni, secretary general, and Hamed Momeni, deputy secretary general of the federation, had travelled to Toronto with official visas to attend the FIFA Congress, they returned to Turkey on the first available flight due to the unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian nation's armed forces," the Iran football federation said in a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency.

Taj is a former member of Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).

"While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country," the Canadian government said in a statement.

"We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will