Members of Iran’s World Cup team have alleged that they were kicked out of the “oppressive” U.S. right after their first World Cup game Monday evening. “They didn’t even give us time to recover,” coach Amir Ghalenoei said through an interpreter, according to the Associated Press. “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’” “It’s very important for us to have time for recovery. We are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that,” he added. TRENDING: Iran player Mohammad Mohebi scores and immediately does the finger-gun shooting celebration towards the crowd in the USA. pic.twitter.com/qjMEB9ch7I — Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 16, 2026 Mehdi Taremi, the captain of the team, also chimed in on the abrupt exit requirement. “We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us,” he said roughly an hour after their first World Cup match. “I think FIFA has to help us more than this. … Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.” He added that they’d suffered five hours of travel and security checks during their original trip on Sunday from Tijuana to Los Angeles. “We don’t know why they are returning us, to be honest,” Ghalenoei continued. “I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere.” “We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why. I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup,” he added. Both Taremi and Ghalenoei also complained about how many vital team staff members weren’t even able to come along

With his own White House hopes at stake, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) claimed the president placed him and his wife on a “hit list” while leaving out some critical details. Since around midday Monday, Newsom has accrued quite the view count on a nearly five-minute video pointing fingers at President Donald Trump, deeming himself and his family victims of weaponized government. Glossed over by the governor, who cried “personal vendetta,” was the fact that at least one of the investigations was opened by the Biden administration. Earning more than seven million views in little more than 12 hours, Newsom captioned his carefully prepared remarks, “Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us. They have not found a crime — they are simply trying to find one.” “He isn’t coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for President,” asserted the term-limited governor. “He hates that I consistently call him out. He is simply the most corrupt President in American history. We have nothing to hide. Mr. President, come after me. I am not going anywhere. The country is watching.” Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us. They have not found a crime – they are simply trying to find one. He isn’t coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for President.… pic.twitter.com/tVYk3WUvO8 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 15, 2026 Within the video, Newsom referenced investigations of former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, California Sen. Adam Schiff (D), and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as he declared, “Today, I proudly join that