Iran will not take part in the 2026 World Cup, according to the country’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali.

The men’s football World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is set to begin on June 11. Iran had been scheduled to play three group-stage matches, facing New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21, before meeting Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

However, uncertainty over the team’s participation grew after the United States (US) and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and other countries that host US military bases.

READ: Trump says only ‘unconditional surrender’ of Iran will end war

Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he welcomed Iran’s participation in the upcoming World Cup in North America despite the ongoing Middle East war.

But according to a BBC Sport report, Donyamali, in an interview with the IRIB Sports Network on Tuesday, said: “Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup.”

“Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist…Over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation,” Donyamali was quoted as saying in the BBC report.