A delegation from the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran is expected to miss a key pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver after turning back at Toronto Pearson International Airport, citing what Iranian media described as poor treatment by Canadian immigration officials.

According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the delegation included federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeni and deputy secretary general Hamed Momeni. The group had travelled with valid visas to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver but returned to Turkey on the next available flight.

Tasnim reported that Iranian officials objected to what they called the “unacceptable behaviour” of immigration staff, adding that the dispute involved comments regarding Iran’s armed forces.

The Canada government said it could not comment on individual cases due to privacy laws but reiterated that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are inadmissible to Canada. Taj is reported to be a former member of the IRGC.

Canada formally designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2024, a move that has complicated travel for current and former members of the group.

The incident comes as preparations intensify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on 11 June 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran has already qualified for the tournament, but travel, visa and security issues remain under scrutiny.

Reports said the Iranian delegation also missed the recent Asian Football Confederation Congress, also held in Vancouver.

According to Tasnim, FIFA has contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may arrange a meeting with them at the organisation’s headquarters.

FIFA has not publicly commented on the matter.

The FIFA Congress, usually a routine annual meeting, carries added importance this year as organisers finalise operational and logistical plans for the first-ever 48-team World Cup.

A federal jury in Virginia on Wednesday convicted an Afghan man of conspiring to provide material support to ​a terrorist organization in connection with the 2021 suicide ‌bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghan civilians, Reuters reported.

But the jury deadlocked on whether his actions directly ​caused the deaths, sparing the defendant, Mohammad Sharifullah, ​from a possible life sentence. He still faces up ⁠to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ​did not immediately set a sentencing date.

The attack occurred on ​August 26, 2021, as U.S. forces were evacuating from Afghanistan at the end of America’s longest war. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive ​vest at Abbey Gate, killing 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman ​and one Army soldier, along with an estimated 160 Afghan civilians, read the report.

Prosecutors said ‌Sharifullah ⁠helped the Daesh group, by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack. Defense attorneys argued the government relied too heavily on Sharifullah’s own statements ​during FBI interrogations ​and failed ⁠to independently prove his role in the bombing.

The case marked the first U.S. criminal trial ​stemming from the Abbey Gate attack, a politically ​charged ⁠episode that has continued to shape debate over how former President Joe Biden’s administration withdrew from Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Early in President Donald Trump’s ⁠second ​term, Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan, near ​the Afghan crossing, by Pakistani security forces working with the FBI and ​CIA.

At a regular meeting of the Economic Commission, chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the electronic system for managing official correspondence and administrative documents of government institutions was approved.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the system was presented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for discussion. Following a comprehensive evaluation, it was approved, and the ministry was instructed to implement it gradually.

With the implementation of this system, coordination among government institutions will be strengthened, and transparency, efficiency, and security will improve. It will help prevent forgery, corruption, and time wastage, enhance the accuracy of data and accountability, and mark a significant step toward e-governance.

The meeting also included the presentation of a report on 22 public welfare projects, for which implementation has been ordered by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, to be funded through mining revenues.