In the Strait of Hormuz, US warships menace Iran’s oil tankers, while in Washington President Donald Trump demands “complete victory.” But in Tucson, they’re getting ready to welcome the Iranian football team as if nothing were amiss.
The city, an oasis of civilization in the Arizona desert, is set to be the base camp for Team Melli when the World Cup opens in the US, Mexico and Canada next month.
“We’re just excited to host them here, and we’re going to give them a positive experience,” said Sarah Hanna, director of the Kino Sports Complex, where the Iranians will train.
Hotel rooms and meeting spaces are locked in, and security is tight.
The flurry of activity in Tucson comes against the backdrop of a war between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. Despite a shaky ceasefire in place for a month, hostilities are stubbornly unresolved, with Iran having virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz.
Organizers Fifa have insisted the team will take part in the tournament as planned, so Tucson has pressed ahead with its preparations.
“As far as we’re concerned, it’s 100 percent on, and it’s never been off,” said Hanna.
Still, there’s plenty of uncertainty. On Friday, Iran’s football federation president announced the team would participate, but laid down a list of requirements, including around the granting of visas and the treatment of staff. Concerns are particularly acute for anyone with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
At the Kino Sports Complex, Iranian players will have access to the club’s weight training facilities, ice baths and massage tables.
“We welcome them with open arms,” said Jon Pearlman, president of FC Tucson. “We believe the game is something that brings nations together, not drives them apart.”
But not everyone in Tucson is thrilled about the prospect of the Iranian team being in town.
For some in the city’s small Persian community, the players are little more than emissaries from a regime that launched a bloody crackdown on popular protests in January, killing thousands.
Ali Rezaei, a 68-year-old IT worker, said it would be “impossible” to support them. “If there is a demonstration against them, I may go there.”
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
