Iran praises resilience after World Cup exit under US threats and pressure Iran’s Foreign Ministry has praised the national football team after its hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage ended, saying the players had endured “inhumane and unprecedented pressures”. “Neither did restrictions become an excuse, nor did pressures lead to submission,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X. His comments came after Austria’s match against Algeria confirmed Iran’s elimination, ending the team’s bid to reach the knockout phase for the first time.