Trump Says He Doesn’t Care If Iran Plays In World Cup As Middle East Tensions Rise

Former US President Donald Trump has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran participates in this summer’s World Cup, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

The United States and Israel launched strikes in Iran on Saturday, with the conflict now spreading across the region. Iran has qualified for the World Cup finals, scheduled in the US, Canada, and Mexico in June and July, for the fourth consecutive edition, but their involvement is now uncertain.

Trump told Politico, “I really don’t care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”

Iran is set to play all three of its group matches in the US, starting against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

The unrest has also affected sports elsewhere in the region. The Fujairah Open, an ATP Challenger Tour tennis tournament in the United Arab Emirates, was cancelled after nearby drone strikes and an attack on an oil terminal forced players to abandon the court.