Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleLawrence OstlereTuesday 30 June 2026 13:05 BSTRelated: Paraguay celebrates historic World Cup win against GermanyMarkwayne Mullin, head of the US Department of Homeland Security, expressed joy at Iran's elimination from the World Cup, stating he "danced a happy dance" and was glad they were "not coming back".Mullin claimed the US faced significant difficulties dealing with the Iranian team and accused them of attempting to bring a person linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into the country.The Iranian team's World Cup preparations were significantly hampered, including being forced to relocate their training base and facing strict entry and exit restrictions for matches in the US.The Iran Football Federation vehemently denied Mullin's accusation as "false, fabricated and entirely baseless" and criticised US officials for "mistreatment and lies".A spokesperson for the federation suggested Mullin's remarks reflected a "level of pettiness" and reinforced their belief that the US did not want Iran to remain in the tournament, referencing past US actions like the Minab bombing.In fullIran criticise ‘petty’ US security chief after he ‘danced a happy dance’ over team’s World Cup eliminationThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in