By Heba Habib, Alex Milan Durie and Barbara Angopa
- Foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei says Iranian, Qatari officials to meet in Doha to discuss MoU deal with US and frozen Iranian funds.
- Baghaei confirms that US envoys Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff are in Doha, but there is no meeting with Iranian officials scheduled in the next days.
Iran’s Baghaei says US acted against hosting principles for World Cup
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the Iranian football team was treated in “the most politicised” manner during the 2026 World Cup event.
He said that the matter of issuing visas had been a serious problem from the beginning, and a significant number of members of the technical staff and federation officials were denied visas.
“The issue of the Iranian national football team staying at a place other than the venue of the games itself also became problematic,” he said.
Baghaei also slammed Markwayne Mullin, the US secretary of homeland security, for announcing he “maybe even danced a happy dance” to celebrate Iran’s exit from the tournament.
Thousands in Gaza are left without identity documents
Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have lost passports and identity documents during more than two years of war, leaving many unable to access banking, travel or basic services.
Gaza’s civil registry system has been severely damaged by Israeli bombardment, while newly issued documents are reportedly not fully recognised by banks linked to the Palestinian Monetary Authority.
Israel’s restrictions on the movement of documents have further compounded the crisis, blocking some students from travelling abroad to pursue education.
Hamas says delegation arrived in Cairo
The Palestinian group says the delegation, headed by the movement’s leader in the occupied West Bank, Zaher Jabarin, arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in the morning.
“The delegation is scheduled to meet with Egyptian officials and mediators to finalise the implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” a statement by senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said.
He added: “The delegation’s top priority is halting the escalating Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, including the daily killings and assassinations, and ensuring the occupation’s commitment to allowing the entry of all the Strip’s needs.”
According to al-Nunu, these include “materials for the reconstruction of hospitals, bakeries, and infrastructure”.
He added that the talks will also cover “implementation of the remaining provisions of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement”.
