Sports minister says Iran cannot compete in a tournament partly hosted by the United States following the reported killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and rising regional tensions.

Iran has indicated it may boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup following recent airstrikes reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel that allegedly killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Speaking on Iranian state television, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said the country cannot participate in a tournament partly hosted by the United States under the current circumstances. He described the reported killing of the nation’s top leader as an assassination and cited the deaths of thousands of Iranians amid the escalating conflict.

Donyamali said it would be unacceptable for Iran to compete on American soil while tensions remain high.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iran had already secured qualification and was drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

All three of Iran’s group-stage matches were scheduled to take place in the United States, including two fixtures in Los Angeles and another in Seattle.

Iran was also notably absent from a recent FIFA World Cup planning summit held in Atlanta last week, where representatives from participating nations met to discuss tournament preparations.

FIFA has yet to issue an official response regarding Iran’s position. However, tournament regulations state that any team that withdraws from the competition at least 30 days before the opening match could face a minimum fine of 250,000 Swiss francs.

Should Iran formally withdraw, the move could create uncertainty about which nation might replace them and reignite debate about the influence of geopolitics on major global sporting events.