WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that questions about the war in Iran were “easy" compared to efforts to better regulate college sports and rein in high salaries for football players — an extraordinary suggestion that even he himself seemed to think better of a short time later.

A longtime critic of the Iranian regime and the former head of the rogue nation’s national wrestling team are urging sports organizations to ban Iran from competitions just weeks after Tehran executed thousands of anti-government demonstrators.

The Iranian women's soccer team refused to sing the national anthem during their Women's Asian Cup opener against South Korea on the Gold Coast on Monday night.

Iran’s national team is set to play three group stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in U.S. host cities, but comments from Iranian football officials and mounting geopolitical tensions have raised new doubts about whether the team will take part.

The country is currently scheduled to play in Los Angeles and Seattle this June, but its status is unclear following attacks from the U.S. and Israel.

Iranian Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei withdrew from the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, citing an inability to travel amid the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

FIFA has announced that Kino Sports Complex, the home of FC Tucson, has been selected as the FIFA World Cup 2026 team base camp training site for the Iran National Team (IR Iran).