Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj, a former IRGC commander, was sent back from Canada hours after landing for the FIFA Congress. Canadian authorities cited national security laws barring IRGC-linked individuals, despite Taj holding a special ...

Mehdi Taj, the IRGC-linked president of Iran's football federation, was deported from Canada just hours after arriving for this week's FIFA Congress, reigniting debate over Ottawa's tough stance on figures linked to the Iranian regime.

Iranian soccer executives were unable to attend an annual meeting of the sport’s Asian governing body here in Canada due to visa issues, the body’s general secretary said Tuesday at a gathering impacted and dampened by war in the Middle East.

On Monday, Iran was nominated to the vice-presidency of the UN's month-long review conference on the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty, better known as the NPT.

Representatives of the federation will not attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. Uncertainty remains 40 days before their World Cup debut.