U.S. Says Iran Tried to Slip Revolutionary Guard Members into World Cup Delegation

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Sunday that Iran attempted to send Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operatives into the United States by hiding them within its World Cup delegation. He said Tehran used an inflated Iranian team delegation for a match in Los Angeles as cover.

According to Mullin, U.S. authorities cleared entry for only 53 members of the Iranian delegation after screening, far fewer than the roughly 120 people that normally travel with a national team, including doctors, coaches and support staff. He said the remaining individuals Iran tried to bring in had direct ties to the IRGC and were not part of the team’s professional staff.

Mullin described them as the regime’s “true believers” and said, “it is almost impossible to leave Iran without the regime’s approval.” He added that the incident shows Iran is “an adversary you cannot trust a single word from.”

He also said arrests are rising daily of Iranian citizens attempting to enter the U.S. through the northern border with Canada. Mullin said checks on those detained at the northern border also uncovered direct links to the Revolutionary Guards.