Following allegations that Iran provided "Kamikaze" drones to Russia, the World Cup champions from Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk, have asked Fifa to exclude Iran from the 2018 tournament in Qatar.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, claimed last week that recent Russian missile strikes had used Iranian drones. James Cleverly, the foreign minister of the United Kingdom, was planning to introduce further sanctions against Iran in response to the assaults at the same time.
According to Sergei Palkin, CEO of Shakhtar Donetsk, Iran's national team need to be suspended by Fifa before the World Cup begins next month and should be replaced by Ukraine, who lost to Wales in a play-off in June. Against November 21, Iran will take on England in their opening game.
Fifa banned Russia and Belarus from international competition in February following the invasion of Ukraine and Palkin believes Iran should face the same punishment following the country’s “direct participation in terrorist attacks on Urkrainians”.
“This will be a fair decision that should draw the attention of the whole world to a regime that kills its best people and helps kill Ukrainians,” Palkin continued in a statement on Monday.
“The vacant place should be taken by the national team of Ukraine, which proved that it is worthy of participation in the Mundial. With unequal conditions with other national teams during the playoffs, they played with their heart.
“This decision is historically and sportingly justified. I urge everyone to join the pressure on the football bureaucracy. It is enough to repeat the mistakes of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, hiding behind the empty thesis about the apolitically of sports.
“Facilitating the participation of terrorists in the World Cup is politics. It’s time to put an end to such a policy.”
Iran has also faced pressure following widespread protests in the country. The UK placed sanctions on Iran earlier this month after leading political figures and security officials were said to be “committing serious human rights violations” after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.