Iran team arrives in US for World Cup opener after announcement of peace deal

Iran's soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport. (Mike Blake, Reuters)

By XINHUA
Monday, June 15, 2026

The Iran squad arrived after a short flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where they left their base camp earlier, to a rousing sendoff ahead of their opening game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday.

Iran's soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport and holding a press conference on the same day that ‌a peace deal between the two nations was announced.

According to Reuters, the Iran squad arrived after a short flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where they left their base camp earlier, to a rousing sendoff ahead of their opening game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday.

"I am very happy to be representing the great, proud and strong nation of Iran," Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said through a translator in a press conference at the stadium.

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said early Monday that the US naval blockade against Iran will be lifted as of tonight, and the immediate and permanent end of the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, is announced.

Gharibabadi said Iran and the United States will sign the finalised draft of a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Switzerland on June 19, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.

Tasnim also cited a source as saying that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen following the signing ceremony in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRIB TV, also citing Gharibabadi, said Iran's entry into a 60-day period of negotiations with the United States on its nuclear program and the removal of sanctions will hinge on the US fulfilment of its preliminary commitments, which will be verified by Tehran from now until the signing ceremony.

US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social that the U.S.-Iran peace deal "is now complete" and he had authorised the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the immediate removal of the U.S. naval blockade against Iranian ports.