Iran's Hossein Vafaei caused the biggest shock of this year's World Snooker Championship as he beat world number one Judd Trump in a final frame decider on Monday.

Iran's footballers will be welcome at this year's World Cup, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday, distancing the US government from a proposal that Italy could take their place in the tournament.

The prospect of Iran being replaced at the “greatest show on earth” has stirred a mix of disbelief and indifference across Italy, after a suggestion by a US envoy reignited debate over the intersection of politics and sport.

Iran's government will only decide on the national team's participation in the World Cup once they receive a response from FIFA over the relocation of their matches, the country's Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali said.

Iran's participation in the World Cup as a whole is under a cloud because of the ongoing conflict with the United States, who are co-hosting the June 11-July 19 tournament with Mexico and Canada.

Iranian women's national football squad arrived in eastern Turkey and headed to the Iran border on their way home Wednesday, among them several players who withdrew an asylum bid in Australia.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her country is prepared to host Iran's first-round matches at the 2026 World Cup if needed due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran's football federation is "negotiating" with FIFA to relocate the country's first-round matches at the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, citing the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's embassy in Mexico said Monday.

The Asian Football Confederation said on Monday it has not received any notification from Iran that it will withdraw its national soccer team from the World Cup.

Iran says no one can exclude it from the World Cup later this year, in response to President Donald Trump's warning that their "life and safety" would be at risk in the US.

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

How women bear the brunt when remittance flow shrinks

The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Iran women's soccer team in Australia following reports that the players had requested asylum.

Trump had previously demanded a say in the appointment and dismissed the younger Khamenei as an unacceptable "lightweight".

Oil surges as no let-up in week-old US-Israel war with Iran

Iran’s exiled Pahlavi dynasty again enters political debate

Ancient statecraft, revolutionary ideology and strategic geography converge as Iran challenges contemporary global dominance on its own terms

The Iranian team are preparing to face host nation Australia on the Gold Coast Thursday after losing their opening game of the continental competition 3-0 to South Korea.

Iran forward Sara Didar fought back tears when journalists asked her about the escalating military conflict in her country, as coach Marziyeh Jafari said her players were doing their best to focus on the Women's Asian Cup campaign despite concern for their families back home.

A "small number" of tennis players remain stuck in Dubai following a men's tournament last week, owing to the war in the Middle East, the tour's governing body the ATP said on Monday.