A former IRGC intelligence commander; Mehdi Taj who currently serves as the head of the Iranian football federation was issued a permit allowing him to enter Canada.The special permission comes ahead of the FIFA event in Vancouver on April 30.Government sources cited by Iran International said Mehdi Taj, who is the head of Iran’s football federation, was a former IRGC intelligence commander and was issued a Temporary Resident Permit allowing him to enter the country. A Temporary Resident Permit allows individuals who would normally be barred from Canada to enter for a limited time under specific conditions, including monitoring requirements.Two years ago, Canada designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity, amid war in the middle east and continued concerns over the handling of the case of PS752. According to the report, Taj is expected to land in Toronto before travelling to B.C. for the event..The report said federal departments, including Public Safety Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, have been contacted for clarification on how Taj’s past affiliations were assessed under Canadian law..Since the beginning of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, questions were raised about Iran's participation in the tournament where group-stage matches involving Iran are scheduled to take place.Iran is set to face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle for the city’s very own pride match. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously said Iranian players would be allowed to compete, but individuals with ties to the IRGC would not be granted entry. Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy confirmed to the Financial Times that he had floated the idea of replacing Iran with Italy, Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The situation also comes as other visa decisions by Canada tied to the FIFA Congress have drawn attention. Reports indicate the president of the Palestine Football Association, along with two other officials, were denied entry to Canada for the same event.
