Iran's national soccer team players received their US entry visas, according to a White House official speaking to Reuters on Friday. This development comes just ten days prior to their opening fixture in Los Angeles during ongoing tensions between the nations.

Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had stated late Thursday that the players still lacked visas, yet approvals arrived overnight, the official confirmed.

A representative from Iran's soccer federation was unavailable for immediate comment.

Some technical and administrative staff members of the Iran squad had not yet obtained visas, according to reports from the semi-official Fars news agency on Friday.

"Visas for select national team technical and executive personnel remain pending, with the US embassy declining to issue them so far," the agency noted without naming a source.

World Cup diplomacy tested by US-Iran conflict

The ongoing conflict has transformed the World Cup into a stage for geopolitical maneuvering, as both nations leverage the event for strategic messaging.

This marks the first instance since the tournament began in 1930 where a host country will welcome a team from a nation with which it is engaged in hostilities.

Tehran arranged a last-minute relocation of the team's training base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, citing visa complications and a preference to limit the squad's time on US soil.

The players are expected to arrive in Tijuana early Sunday.

Iran is set to face New Zealand in their Group G opener on June 15 in Los Angeles, followed by matches against Belgium and Egypt in Seattle.

The United States had not issued a formal statement barring the Iran team from its territory, ambassador Pasandideh noted.

US limits Iran delegation due to IRGC connections

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would prevent inclusion of Islamic Revolutionary Guards-linked figures in Iran's World Cup delegation.

Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's soccer federation and a former Revolutionary Guards commander, was previously denied entry for the tournament draw held in Washington in December.

Iran's commitment to participating in the World Cup reflects its push for a diplomatic resolution with Washington, Pasandideh added.

"Iran's involvement in the World Cup, even on the territory of a perceived adversary, demonstrates its pursuit of peace," Pasandideh stated via a Spanish interpreter at the Iranian embassy in Mexico City.

Peace negotiations between Iran and the US have advanced slowly, with both parties moving gradually toward a temporary accord while military actions persist.