Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj announced that Iran will "boycott the United States" but will continue participating in the upcoming World Cup, according to a video released by Iranian press agency Fars.

Iran is scheduled to play their group stage matches in the United States during this summer's tournament. Despite the planned boycott of the host country, Taj emphasized that the team's World Cup participation remains unchanged.

"We will be preparing for the World Cup," Taj stated in the video. "We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup."

The statement comes as Iran prepares for the international tournament, though specific details about how the boycott would be implemented while still participating in matches held on US soil were not provided. FIFA has not announced any plans to relocate Iran's scheduled games to alternative venues such as Mexico.

The Iranian football federation's position reflects ongoing diplomatic tensions between Iran and the United States, though the team appears committed to competing in the global tournament despite the political stance toward the host nation.