[Anchor]

The Iranian national team, which had been restricted to arriving in the U.S. only one day before their matches due to strict U.S. government policies, will be able to travel slightly earlier ahead of their third match. U.S. authorities have granted permission for the team to enter the country two days before the game.

Reporter Jeong Gu-hui has the story.

[Reporter]

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it would allow the Iranian national team to enter the U.S. tomorrow, June 25, two days ahead of their third match against Egypt, which is scheduled to take place in Seattle on the 27th.

Until now, Iran had been forced to arrive just one day before matches due to strict U.S. entry sanctions and had to return immediately to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, right after the games. As Seattle, where the match against Egypt is held, is 1,931 kilometers away from their base camp, the team had appealed for permission to travel one day earlier for this third match.

[Amir Ghalenoei / Head Coach of the Iranian National Football Team: We are the most oppressed team in the history of the World Cup.]

Iran is currently in second place in their group with two draws, and depending on the result of the match against Egypt, they could reach the tournament stage for the first time in history.

While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has slightly relaxed the entry schedule, it maintained the regulation requiring the team to leave the U.S. immediately after the match concludes.

The Iranian team, which held its final training session in Mexico today, received a commemorative painting as a gift from the Tijuana club that provided the training grounds, and responded by presenting a team-signed uniform.

(Video Editing: Park Gi-deok)