[51543] The visa storm and the statements of the Iranian Wrestling Federation chairman ahead of tournaments in the U.S.

Tensions surrounding the participation of Iranian athletes in competitions in the U.S.

According to reports in Iran International, which is affiliated with the Iranian opposition and heavily critical of the authorities in Tehran, Alireza Dabir, head of Iran's Wrestling Federation, sparked a major controversy after calling Iranians living outside the country derogatory terms such as "dependent," "dirty," and "useless." Dabir added that he demands the tournament management in the U.S. prevent the entry of any flag that is not the official flag of the Islamic Republic, while threatening to use physical violence against protesters: "We always go to world competitions, I am sensitive to this issue, we will respond quickly, I will kick them out".

On the political front, Iran International reports that Dabir appealed to the president of the United World Wrestling federation with a threat that if the U.S. refuses to issue visas to the Iranian junior team – as it has done in the past for other teams and even for him personally – Iran will act alongside other countries to cancel the hosting of the 2027 World Championships in the U.S. This stance comes against the backdrop of a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who emphasized that while the U.S. does not oppose the participation of athletes, it will not allow "a bunch of terrorists from the Revolutionary Guards to enter the country as journalists or coaches."

On the other hand, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which serves as the official mouthpiece of the regime in Tehran, presented a more moderate version and reported that Dabir asked the world wrestling federation to intervene to stop what he defined as "American sabotage in visa issuance." As part of these talks, the president of the world federation confirmed that the location of the 2026 World Championships will be moved from Bahrain to another Asian country, whose name will be announced in the coming two weeks.