
Canada turned back three senior Iranian football officials at the border this week, including a man described as a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, as the row over Iran's participation in the World Cup sharpened into a diplomatic incident on FIFA's doorstep.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, secretary general Hedayat Mombeini and deputy secretary general Hamed Momeni had obtained visas and flown to Toronto to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver when Canadian authorities revoked their entry permits.