SYDNEY, June 11 — Twenty-two countries including the United States and European nations jointly warned Iran today to stop attacking people “on our soil”.

Iran’s security services were condemned for their “deplorable” use of international and local criminal gangs for plots in Europe, North America and Australia.

“Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately,” the countries said in a joint statement.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence services and its foreign operations branch, the Quds Force, had engaged in “lethal plotting and malign actions” against Iranian dissidents, journalists and Jewish and Israeli communities and interests, they said.

“We stand united in our determination to protect our countries and our people against these threats. The Islamic Republic of Iran must halt these actions now.”

The countries also accused Iran of being behind a campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and US journalists that were claimed by Iran-linked group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).

The group, whose name means The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.

HAYI reportedly said it was responsible for the stabbing of two Jewish men and a series of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London over recent months.

Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador to Australia in August last year, accusing Tehran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks: an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and the torching of a kosher cafe in Sydney.

Canberra also withdrew the Australian ambassador to Iran and suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran.

In November, Australia designated the Revolutionary Guards as a state sponsor of terrorism, describing its alleged attacks in Australia as “unprecedented and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil”.

Iran’s foreign ministry said at the time Australia’s decision was an “insulting and unjustified act” that violated international rules and norms.

The statement was issued by Albania, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the United States. — AFP

ISTANBUL, June 3 — Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkiye tomorrow before ‌departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday, the Iranian FA (FFIRI) said on Wednesday.

Although it was one of the first teams to qualify, Iran’s participation in the World Cup ‌has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February.

The squad have played three friendlies in two training camps in Antalya since the start of the war - losing to Nigeria and beating Costa Rica and Gambia - and on Thursday will face Mali in the Turkish sea resort.

“Considering the importance of the Iranian national football team’s friendly match against Mali, and in line with the tactical objectives of Iran’s head coach, tomorrow’s match against Mali will be held behind closed doors and ‌without media attendance,” FFIRI said in a statement.

The FFIRI persuaded FIFA to allow ⁠the team to swap its tournament ⁠base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, and from ⁠there they will commute across ⁠the border to their ⁠first two group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles.

Their third and final Group G game against Egypt is in Seattle.

US Secretary of State ⁠Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Washington had “no problem” with the Iranian team entering the country, but would not let officials or staff with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accompany them.

“What we’re not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know ⁠have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC or things of that nature, so we were going to watch ⁠that very closely,” Rubio said during a House of Representatives committee hearing.

Both the US ⁠and Canada, ⁠who are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity.”

FFIRI President Mehdi Taj was refused entry into Canada for the FIFA Congress in late April because ‌of his links to the elite military force.

Iran are scheduled to kick off their campaign against New Zealand on June 15. — Reuters