Four members of Iran's World Cup delegation have won their appeals after initially being denied entry visas to the United States, though 11 others remain barred from travelling to the country.

Iran had accused Washington last week of rejecting visa applications from "integral" members of its national team's backroom staff — a charge that came after US officials confirmed the players themselves had been cleared to travel for the tournament.

Partial success after fresh applications

Of the 15 Iranian delegation members who were originally refused US visas, 10 submitted new applications after relocating to Mexico, where Iran have established their World Cup base due to tensions with the United States.

Four of those reapplications succeeded. Those granted visas include an analyst from the team's technical staff and two officials from the Iran Football Federation's international department.

The remaining six applicants were denied a second time. Among those still barred are Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) president Mehdi Taj, a federation vice-president, two team administrators who handle day-to-day operations, a media officer, and a security officer. A second media officer declined to reapply following the initial rejection, bringing the total number of banned staff to 11.

Iran's World Cup schedule in the US

Iran open their tournament against New Zealand on 15 June in Los Angeles, then return to the same city to face Belgium on 21 June, before meeting Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. The World Cup is being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The visa difficulties have extended beyond delegation members. US officials this week also revoked Iran's group-stage ticket allocation for supporters, though FIFA said it is working to "maximise opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend matches."

IRGC links at the heart of restrictions

The FFIRI had submitted a list of 10 conditions to FIFA regarding their participation, among them a request to allow players, coaches, and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attend. US secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed that Iranian players are welcome but warned that individuals with IRGC connections could face entry restrictions.

Iran were also absent from FIFA's annual congress in Vancouver in April after delegation members were turned away at the Canadian border, with Canadian authorities citing those same IRGC ties.

Blatter criticises FIFA over broader visa failures

Iran's situation is not unique at this tournament. Fans from several countries have been refused entry, and Somali referee Omar Artan was denied a visa to officiate at the World Cup.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, 90, condemned the organisation he led for 17 years, writing on social media: "A FIFA World Cup host country must guarantee two fundamental principles: the safety of the country — and the unrestricted entry of all qualified teams, officials and referees. The case of referee Omar Artan from Somalia is against one of these obligations. FIFA must never compromise the universality of football."

Blatter departed the FIFA presidency amid corruption allegations and received a six-year ban from football, though he was later cleared of criminal charges.

FIFA does not cap the size of a nation's World Cup delegation, though it only covers costs for up to 50 individuals.