Israel-Iran attacks: Mehdi Taremi unable to join Inter for Club World Cup

The forward, set to link up with Inter Milan in LA, is stranded in Iran after his home country’s airspace was shut down.

Inter Milan’s Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi could miss the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States after being unable to leave his home country to join his team amid Iran’s airspace closure due to its ongoing exchange of aerial fire with Israel.

Taremi, who was named in Inter’s squad for the 32-team tournament, was expected to link up with his team in Los Angeles as they gear up for the tournament, but media reports in Italy and the US said on Saturday that the striker is likely to miss the first match on Tuesday and perhaps the entire competition.

“The Iranian striker will not join the Nerazzurri, neither for the first match nor for the others,” Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Saturday.

“Inter have been in close contact with the Iranian authorities in Italy over the last 24 hours to comfort the player and try [to find] a solution that is currently impossible. The player is in Tehran in a safe place and sheltered from the bombings,” the report added.

The Italian side open their campaign against the Mexican side, Monterrey FC, at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Los Angeles, on Tuesday, but Taremi is unlikely to be part of the squad.

The 32-year-old captains Iran and was among the goal scorers as they beat North Korea in their AFC World Cup qualifying match at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on June 10. A day later, he won the inaugural Iranian Toopa Award (Golden Ball).

While it is unclear when the forward was scheduled to fly out of Tehran, his departure for the US was put on hold when Israel began its attacks on Iran on Friday morning, leading to the indefinite closure of its airspace.

Iran responded to the attacks later on the same day, and both countries have been involved in an exchange of fire ever since.

Taremi, who joined Inter Milan on a three-year contract in July 2024, has scored three goals in 43 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

Milan and their opening-game opponents Monterrey are placed in Group E for the Club World Cup alongside Argentinian club River Plate and Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds.

Israel's next target is Fordo, a nuclear site hidden in a mountain.

Context:

After striking Iran's nuclear sites on Friday, Israel will target Fordo, Iran's second-largest and most fortified nuclear complex. Fordo is where Iran has stockpiled weapons-grade uranium and could produce a bomb. It is buried deep underground in a mountain in the village of Fordo 20 miles from Qom.

Dive Deeper:

• Israel has targeted critical sites related to Iran's nuclear weapons program, with Fordo being the next major focus.

• Fordo is Iran's second-largest nuclear facility, strategically built deep underground to resist attacks.

• Experts warn that Fordo holds a significant stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, enabling rapid bomb production.

• The site poses a major challenge for Israel in its efforts to completely dismantle Iran's nuclear capabilities.

• Michael Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., emphasized that eliminating Fordo is crucial to the operation's success.

• Fordo is located about 20 miles from Qom, a city of great religious significance in Iran.

• Although construction likely started in 2006, the existence of the Fordo facility was disclosed to the public in 2009.

Iran's UN ambassador: 78 people killed and 320 wounded in Israeli strikes

Iran’s UN ambassador said that 78 people were killed and 320 were wounded in Israel’s airstrikes on Iran.

The death toll comes after Israel’s attacks across Iran which hit dozens of targets in and around Tehran including nuclear facilities and official headquarters.

Among those killed by Israeli airstrikes include scientists and commanders.

As reported by the Guardian’s Jason Burke and Deepa Parent, Iranians described chaotic scenes where they saw windows shaking and people screaming.

“Traffic jams and clueless crowds are still trying to make sense of what’s happening,” witnesses told the Guardian, adding: “Smoke is still billowing from residential streets and there’s debris around homes. The sky is red and we fear there will be more attacks.”