{"text":[[{"start":8,"text":"Mexico has said it will host Iran’s football team during next month’s World Cup after its president said the US government had refused to allow the squad to stay overnight on American territory."}],[{"start":19.9,"text":"Iran is due to play its three group stage matches in the US but Fifa, football’s governing body, approached the Mexican government to ask if it could put the team up instead, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday."}],[{"start":32.15,"text":"“The US doesn’t want the Iranian squad to stay overnight in the US . . . So they asked us if they could stay in Mexico and we said we had no problem,” Sheinbaum said."}],[{"start":42.099999999999994,"text":"“We had no reason to deny them so we gave them this option.” "}],[{"start":45.949999999999996,"text":"Her comments confirmed a decision announced at the weekend by Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s Football Federation, to move his squad’s training base to Mexico from Tucson in Arizona because of security fears."}],[{"start":59.05,"text":"The US, which together with Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, is intensifying diplomatic efforts to extend a fragile ceasefire for 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane."}],[{"start":73.1,"text":"That timeline could coincide with the beginning of the World Cup tournament, which the US is hosting jointly with Mexico and Canada. It kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City."}],[{"start":83.64999999999999,"text":"US President Donald Trump on Monday said negotiations with Tehran “are proceeding nicely”."}],[{"start":89.55,"text":"But writing on his Truth Social platform he added: “It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!” "}],[{"start":102.75,"text":"Iran’s first World Cup match is against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles. The squad plays Belgium on June 21 in LA and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle."}],[{"start":115.4,"text":"“We are looking for their base to be in Tijuana so that they can travel to the matches that will take place in the US,” Sheinbaum said. Officials are ironing out the details. "}],[{"start":125.4,"text":"Iran had expressed concern over how its players would be treated in the US and sought guarantees that staff and players with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would have no problems being granted visas. "}],[{"start":138.4,"text":"Canadian officials questioned Taj, a former Revolutionary Guard member, and his delegation at Toronto’s airport for three hours before granting them entry for a Fifa conference last month, but they decided to turn back, Taj said. The US and Canada designate the IRGC a terrorist organisation."}],[{"start":157.55,"text":"But earlier this month, Fifa reassured Iran that it would be “eagerly welcomed to North America”. Taj said Tehran had outlined its concerns and the meeting was “positive and constructive”."}],[{"start":170.70000000000002,"text":"Sheinbaum said she did not know how Iran would travel to their matches but Taj has said that using Iran Air was a possibility. "}],[{"start":177.70000000000002,"text":"The US state department and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "}],[{"start":183.05,"text":"Fifa was contacted for comment. "}],[{"start":194.50000000000003,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779770818_2696.mp3"}