Reza Salehi Amiri, Iranian minister, blasts Trump’s World Cup restrictions and gives insight into health of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Reza Salehi Amiri, a politician and current Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts since 2024, was president of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 2018 to 2022. He is deeply frustrated by the situation President Trump has created for Iran’s national team as it prepares to compete at the World Cup.

A senior figure within the government, he has spent several days in Spain attending international meetings in Toledo and visiting Madrid, where he spoke with us at the Iranian Embassy alongside Ambassador Reza Zabib.

Question: I wanted to ask about the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. How is he?

Answer: The Supreme Leader was elected in accordance with the Constitution by the Assembly of Experts. He is carrying out his responsibilities with courage and wisdom and is in perfect health. I would also like to take this opportunity to send warm greetings from the Iranian government and nation to all of Spain through your newspaper. And, of course, to thank Spanish society – that awakened conscience that is Spain – because it opposed that cruel war of aggression against my nation.

Q: What stage is Iran at right now?

A: After more than 100 days of war against Iran, our enemies find themselves trapped in a quagmire, while our nation maintains a position of dignity. The Iranian people and the armed forces remain dignified. But I will tell you this: our nation and our people have decided to resist this force.

Q: Is the reality of Iran being accurately portrayed in the West?

A: Many media outlets do not present a real picture. Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians live together in Iran under the same umbrella.

Q: What is Tehran like today?

A: Today’s Tehran is very different from the Tehran of yesterday. Just as cities across Spain have become more beautiful, Tehran has become more beautiful as well. Imagine managing a population of 15 million people within such a limited geographical area. We are talking about a city that is home to no fewer than four million cars. And twice as many motorcycles. Then there are the green spaces and the security that must be guaranteed.

Q: One of the latest projects was the Virgin Mary metro station.

A: It is regrettable that American media and many Western outlets present things about Iran that are neither real nor true. In Iran, there are religious minorities, including Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, but everyone lives under one umbrella called Iran. We have unique ties with Christians around the world. As minister, and alongside other ministers – including the president himself – whenever we travel to cities across the country, whether Tehran, Isfahan or Shiraz, we always try to visit churches and synagogues. We have even registered the Monastery of Saint Stepanos with the United Nations.

Q: You come from the world of sports. What does sport represent in the country today?

A: My academic field was cultural and sociological studies. I have published 17 books and more than 100 articles. So my vision of sport has always been rooted in culture and society. Sport is a source of social joy because it allows people to release energy and has become a necessity in Iranian society. More than 70% of Iranians regularly follow international competitions on television.

To give you an example, when Iran qualifies for the World Cup, the streets fill with young people. Right now, millions of Iranians are following World Cup matches on television. But there is also bitter news. Our enemies even attacked sports facilities and stadiums. In a single attack on a sports center in the city of Lamerd, more than 40 people were killed, most of them young girls taking part in a volleyball competition. In Tehran, at Azadi Stadium, they completely destroyed a venue with a capacity of 12,000 spectators. Our enemies respect no international rules. I would ask you, as a representative of such an important newspaper, to raise this question with the Spanish public. What fault did our stadiums, our young people and our teenagers bear that they became targets of crimes, massacres and bombings by our enemies?

(The minister wears a lapel pin displaying the number 168 and an image of a blood-stained backpack, in memory of girls killed at a school in Minab.)

Q: You said the streets filled with people when Iran qualified for the World Cup, but unfortunately fans will not be able to travel to support their team in the United States.

A: That is a question for the U.S. government, which is not granting visas. So many people want to attend Iran’s matches – why are they not being given visas? We had to make an enormous effort to secure visas even for the players themselves, involving the Foreign Ministry, the Tourism Ministry and appeals through FIFA. That shows that the world today is governed by the law of force rather than by rules and norms.

Q: If we could travel freely to Iran now, what kind of country would we find? What should we not miss?

A: That is a very good question. Iran is a land of secrets. When you come, I will try to show you everything Iran has to offer: its culture, civilization, art, nature and people. Do you know how many historical monuments we have? One million. We have layers of civilization stretching from the Achaemenid Empire to Isfahan and the Safavid Empire, and in the west of the country, in Kermanshah, the Sassanian Empire. All of those civilizations have left behind monuments and works that deserve to be visited. And in Tehran, we have so many museums. The National Museum and our archaeological museums would be fascinating places to discover our history.

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