Iran's national team responds: US officials have no respect for international law or human dignity
Tehran - BORNA - Marqueen Mullin, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, told reporters at a World Cup security briefing in Washington: "I'm so glad they're gone. No team caused us as much trouble as Iran. I'm so glad their work is done and they won't be coming back. When we managed to cancel their visas and told them they had to leave US soil, I was so happy I might have sung a song or two and danced with joy."
According to the official website of the Football Federation, Iran's national team media office responded to The Athletic's question about whether they were surprised by these remarks, stating: "The Iranian people have grown accustomed to the mistreatment and lies of US officials for years; therefore, no one in Iran is surprised by these hostile remarks. When they kill 168 children and then lie about it to the entire world, nothing said by this person can surprise us anymore."
"These remarks once again demonstrate that US officials have no commitment to international law or the principles expected of a worthy host country for a major global event. That he openly expresses joy over Iran's elimination reveals more about his character than about our team. This behavior reflects a level of arrogance and narrow-mindedness that cannot even tolerate the presence of a football team on the world's biggest sporting stage."
"After our match against New Zealand, the national team coach said that the United States did not want Iran to remain in the tournament because our team had faced inhumane and unprofessional treatment. These recent remarks only reinforce that belief."
The New York Times reported that these remarks refer to the airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab on February 28, 2026, the first day of military conflict between Iran and the United States.
Throughout the World Cup, Iran's national team players honored the victims of this massacre by displaying symbols bearing the number 168 and posting tributes on social media.
The New York Times also reported, citing US officials and sources familiar with preliminary investigation results, that ongoing military investigations have attributed responsibility for this deadly missile attack to the United States.
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