INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Iran took another step toward advancing in the World Cup on Sunday, but once again the off-the-field play dominated the conversation.At the match’s conclusion, at least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch. And afterward, though demonstrations were quieter than Monday’s, an Associated Press reporter observed a fan who got into a scuffle with protesters being loaded into an ambulance. But before the match had even kicked off, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that the Iranians had “tried to get somebody in yesterday” who had direct ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back.“The claim that an official representative of the Iranian Football Federation attempted to board a flight to enter the United States yesterday and was prevented from doing so is an outright and undeniable lie,” the statement said.Mullin told Fox News that most teams travel with around 120 people, but the U.S. had accepted 53 in Iran’s case. He said the rest of the people Iran had tried to secure visas for had “direct ties to the IRGC and aren’t their normal traveling group.” The federation called Mullin’s claims “completely unsupported by any evidence or documentation, but also represent a clear attempt to cover up discriminatory behavior and unreasonable restrictions.” That statement echoed Iran’s complaints throughout the tournament that politics have infringed on soccer, even as U.S. Vice President JD Vance said there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with talks beginning in Switzerland on the interim deal to end the war. Iran’s players and coach have complained about shuttling to and from Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona, and the barring of some officials and staff, and the federation has said it would pursue a …
