Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said late on Thursday that the squad had still not received their US visas, but ​these were granted overnight, the White House official said.

Tehran negotiated ​a last-minute move of the team’s base from Arizona to ⁠Tijuana in Mexico due to the visa issues and a growing ​feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the United States should ​be kept to a minimum.

They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early Sunday morning.

Iran is due to play their first Group G match on June 15 against ​New Zealand in Los Angeles, where they will also face Belgium ​before taking on Egypt in Seattle.

The Iran war has turned the World Cup – the ‌biggest ⁠global sporting event – into a geopolitical contest, with both sides appearing to use the tournament for political posturing.

It is the first World Cup, since its inception in 1930, in which a host nation is set ​to receive a ​country it ⁠is at war with.

The US has never formally said it did not want the Iranian team to stay ​on its territory, Ambassador Pasandideh said.

However, Secretary of State Marco ​Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in its World Cup delegation individuals linked to the Revolutionary Guards, a powerful ⁠branch ​of the Iranian armed forces.

That could apply ​to several players in the Iran squad who have completed mandatory military service with the ​group.