Mullin claims – Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the U.S. denied entry for more than half of Iran’s World Cup entourage from Tijuana, Mexico, and accused Iran’s government of trying to bring in people with “direct ties” to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. His
When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stepped onto Fox News with host Maria Bartiromo, he didn’t talk about customs the way most people do. He framed it as a test of trust—one he said the United States failed to grant to Iran.
Mullin claimed the Iranian government tried to sneak people with “direct ties” to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard into the United States alongside its World Cup soccer team. He said the U.S. denied entry to more than half of the Iranian team’s 100-plus person World Cup envoy—who were traveling from their training base in Tiajuana. Mexico.
“It’s also seeing this with the games they’re playing with FIFA,” Mullin said, referring to what he characterized as Iran’s conduct on the international stage. “So these games that Iran plays makes them an adversary that you can’t trust,” he added.
Bartiromo pressed Mullin on what the U.S. was actually doing with its vetting process. Mullin pointed back to President Donald Trump and said: “No one knows that better” than the president. He told viewers, “Everything that we do will be verified and not assumed.”
Mullin also said the secretary’s office fully vetted Iran’s players. But he conceded at least one part of Iran’s soccer leadership was refused entry: the president of Iran’s soccer federation was denied entry into the United States.
His claims landed amid a tense diplomatic backdrop. Mullin spoke days after news that the U.S. and Iran had finally agreed to a framework of terms to end the military conflict that kicked off nearly four months ago. Despite peace talks playing out in Switzerland right now. Mullin told Bartiromo he believed Iran’s government remained intent on finding a way to harm people on U.S. soil.
He pointed to Iran’s rhetoric, saying the “regime that we’re dealing with” has been chanting “Death to America” for 49 years. And he credited Trump for not allowing Iran’s “fantasy” of activating terrorist “sleeper cells” to become reality.
The immediate effect of Mullin’s message was to fold sports, borders, and counterterrorism into the same question: whether entry denials and vetting safeguards are enough when the stakes are framed as threats carried across both diplomacy and athletics.
For now, Switzerland’s negotiations are continuing, and Mullin’s warning has added a sharper edge to the conversation—one that insists the U.S. is watching not only for weapons, but for intentions traveling under the cover of major international events.
Markwayne Mullin Donald Trump Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Homeland Security World Cup FIFA Tijuana Maria Bartiromo Switzerland talks
Wait so they were trying to smuggle dudes in with the soccer team?
Seems like the headline is right but I’m confused how you can tell from “ties” or whatever. World Cup people go through security anyway right? Also why Tijuana of all places…
So basically Iran can’t even bring a whole group for soccer without Trump freaking out. I saw “more than half” and automatically assumed it was like players only, not officials, but idk. If they denied the head of their federation then that’s kinda wild.
I don’t trust ANY of it, like whether it’s true or just politics. The whole “death to America” chant thing is old news too, they always say stuff. And “sleeper cells” sounds like he’s trying to connect sports to terrorism like it’s guaranteed. Switzerland peace talks happening at the same time makes this feel like sabotage.