U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, June 2 that the United States will strictly vet members of Iran’s World Cup delegation to prevent individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from entering the country under the guise of participation. He also rejected claims that the United States is “begging” for a deal with Iran, emphasizing that Iran is currently in a weakened position both economically and militarily.
Rubio spoke on these issues during separate hearings in the House of Representatives and the Senate, addressing U.S.–Iran relations, World Cup security, and negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
During the House hearing, Rubio discussed Iran’s national team traveling to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. He said the Trump administration welcomes the Iranian national football team and its associated staff to enter the country to compete, but the United States will not allow individuals with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to be embedded within the delegation.
Rubio said the U.S. government will closely screen members of the Iranian delegation to ensure that no individuals with non-sport-related ties to the IRGC or similar organizations are included.
According to the schedule, Iran’s team will travel to the United States during the World Cup, but its base of operations will be in Mexico. Rubio’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions in U.S.–Iran relations.
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Rubio rejects claims that the US is ‘begging’ Iran for a deal
On the same day, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio also had a heated exchange with Democratic Senator Cory Booker over Iran policy.
Booker criticized the Trump administration for withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and now attempting to negotiate a new agreement with Iran. He argued that the United States, as the world’s most powerful country, has become stuck in a stalemate with Iran and now appears to be seeking a return to the very deal it once abandoned.
Rubio firmly denied that the United States is “begging” Iran to reach an agreement.
He said that it is Iran, not the United States, that is urgently seeking a deal.
Rubio stated that Iran’s economy is facing a severe crisis, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue daily, experiencing severe inflation, and suffering a sharp currency devaluation, with even government payrolls becoming difficult to maintain.
“Iran is in a very serious situation,” he said.
Rubio also noted that Iran’s military capabilities have suffered significant setbacks.
He said the Iranian navy has largely lost its combat capability, many defense industrial facilities have been damaged, a substantial portion of missile launch systems has been destroyed, and that current economic conditions are significantly worse than they were six to nine months ago.
