Iran’s football team have fired a parting shot at what they called the “unfair and unsportsmanlike” treatment they have received as they left the World Cup.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt, in which Iran had a goal disallowed after a lengthy VAR check, was not enough for them to reach the knockout stages, ending a fraught tournament appearance amid their nation’s conflict with the United States.

The team had been due to be based in Arizona but switched to Tijuana, Mexico, and have faced a number of travel restrictions for their matches in the United States.

In a statement as they headed home, the Iranian federation (FFIRI) thanked the media for covering their situation.

“Thank you for your professionalism, your support and for covering not only our team’s sporting journey but also the unfair and unsportsmanlike treatment our delegation experienced during our stay,” the statement said.

“Your commitment to reporting the facts with accuracy and integrity has meant a great deal to us.

“We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the wonderful people of Mexico, especially the beautiful city of Tijuana and its kind, warm-hearted residents. You welcomed us with generosity and genuine hospitality, making us feel at home. Leaving Tijuana is truly difficult for all of us.”

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is in Baghdad for a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart. The pair have been discussing the latest attacks as well as the all-important issue of Hormuz, according to Reuters.

Gulf states have publicly said that the strait of Hormuz must remain toll-free. For his part, Araghchi’s Iraqi counterpart said that he stressed the importance of opening the passage in their joint meetings and that Iran should lift the naval blockade.

Iran’s foreign minister said that bringing maritime traffic back to pre-war levels in Hormuz lies solely with Tehran, and warned that any challenge over the strait will “increase tensions”.

He also touched on Lebanon, where Israeli military said it killed Hezbollah militants in a strike in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.

Araghchi reiterated his previous position that the memorandum of understanding signed with the US mandates that Israel withdraw from Lebanon and end its strikes there.

Qatar has condemned repeated Iranian strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, calling them a “flagrant breach” of international law.

They called for efforts to return to diplomacy and “reduce escalation” in the region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the repeated Iranian attacks on the fraternal Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait with a number of missiles and drones, considering them a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the two countries and a flagrant breach of the rules of international law.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need to spare the region the consequences of unjustified attacks, to continue on the path of dialogue and diplomacy, to reduce escalation, and to build on the gains achieved within the framework of the memorandum of understanding, in a way that contributes to consolidating security and stability at the regional and international levels.

“The Ministry reiterates the State of Qatar’s full solidarity with the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain and its support for all measures they take to preserve their sovereignty and security.”

In a speech in Damascus on 13 June, Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa said: “There are people spreading rumors that Syria will intervene in Lebanon. This is not true. We are calling for a permanent end to the war and the strengthening of institutions and for there to be economic ties and a calming of the situation in Lebanon.”

In an interview on 21 June with the Emirati network Al Mashhad, al-Sharaa said Trump’s remarks had been misunderstood.

Trump “spoke about Syria’s role in finding a safe and peaceful solution, but the statement was misinterpreted as if Syria were going to invade Lebanon tomorrow morning,” al-Sharaa said.

He said Syria had “presented our vision for a solution to the United States, which is to stop the war and address the negative effects on Lebanon and Syria, and to find different economic, political and social solutions.”

On the sidelines of the G7 summit earlier this month, Trump complained that Israel’s war with Hezbollah is dragging on too long and “too many people are being killed.”

More than 4,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Hezbollah joined the wider Iran war with a March 2 attack on Israel, including hundreds of women and children. Israel says its strikes target Hezbollah and that it takes measures to protect civilians.

“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses and they’re not all Hezbollah,” Trump said. “I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah. ‘Cause to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job.”

Days later, on the first day of US-Iran talks in Switzerland, Fox News’ Trey Yingst said that, during an interview, Trump had expressed disappointment that Israel can’t “put Hezbollah away” and said that he is “close to giving it to Syria” because he thinks al-Sharaa would be more precise.

The White House declined to comment and referred to Trump’s previous statements.

As the White House has soured on Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump has shocked many in the region by pushing an alternative: Let Syria fight the Iran-backed militant group instead.

He has suggested that the battle-hardened and Islamist-led insurgents who overthrew Syria’s autocratic President Bashar Assad a year and a half ago and formed a new government would do a better job of rooting out Hezbollah than the Israeli army.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has said he has no interest in doing so, and has asserted that Trump’s comments were misconstrued. But Trump has doubled down on the idea.

Although it remains unclear how serious the White House is about the proposal, the prospect of a Syrian invasion has raised alarms in Lebanon — and also in Israel, which regards al-Sharaa’s Islamist-led government with suspicion and has seized control of a strip of southern Syria since he took power.

Top Israeli security officials convened a meeting on the subject on Wednesday, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Jet fuel prices have fallen more than 40 per cent from February, but consumers aren’t feeling much relief from airfare prices that jumped because of costs connected to the U.S.- Iran war.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned Iran’s fresh strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait as a “flagrant violation” of the nations’ sovereignty.

In a statement on Sunday, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile missile and drone attacks by Iran that targeted the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait.”

They said the “hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait, and a threat to their security and stability.”

US and Iranian officials signed a ceasefire agreement on 17 June, which looks increasingly fragile as the days progress.

Both sides have accused the other of violating the ceasefire as they traded blows as tensions escalate over control of shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

• 26 June: Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely cargo ship was hit by a drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called the incident a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement before the US hit back, striking targets in Iran’s Sirik region.
• 27 June: A Panama-flagged MT Kiku cargo ship was also struck in the Strait. Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday evening to warn that Iran would “no longer exist” if Tehran kept breaking the ceasefire. US Central Command confirmed it had launched fresh strikes on Iranian military sites “in ​direct ⁠response to continued ‌Iranian aggression against commercial shipping”.
• 28 June: Iran on Sunday said its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and warned further violations would receive a “crushing response”.

Nearly four months after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, the lasting global impact is becoming clearer.