The head of the White House Task Force for the World Cup on Tuesday defended the U.S. government's decision to deny entry to a prominent Somali referee and select support staff for the Iranian national football team.

“To this point, we’ve had 35 teams that have come into the United States,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the task force, said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington.

“No players, no coaches have been denied,” Giuliani stated. “There have been some officials that have been denied, and for good reason.”

Security Concerns Cited for Somali Referee

Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was asked specifically about the decision to bar Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the country. Artan, who was named the 2025 Men’s Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was turned back upon arrival at Miami International Airport. He would have been the first Somali national to referee at a World Cup tournament.

A U.S. State Department official later told AFP that the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations," which rendered the traveler "ineligible for admission to the United States."

Addressing the incident, Giuliani emphasized the strict vetting protocols in place for the tournament. “We’re striking that balance between making sure that any bad actors that... try to come into the country under the guise of the World Cup will not get access to the United States,” he said.

Somalia remains among several nations subject to travel restrictions under immigration policies introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump.

Iranian Staff Denied Entry Over Verification Issues

The Iranian football federation reported on Tuesday that its ticket allocation for supporters had been revoked and that several team support staff members had been denied visas.

Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches on American soil, though the team was recently forced to relocate its training base to Mexico due to ongoing military tensions between Washington and Tehran.

While Giuliani confirmed that "all the Iranian coaching staff is coming in," he reiterated that certain officials were barred.

“There are some Iranian officials that are not coming in—again, for very good reason,” Giuliani said, declining to elaborate on specific intelligence. “I can’t get into the particulars, but there are some people that claim that they are coaches that may not be coaches.”

Giuliani stated that President Trump aims to ensure a "level playing field" for all participating World Cup teams, while simultaneously ensuring that individuals "directly working, let’s say, with the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) have no ability to access the United States of America."

Intelligence Community on High Alert

Despite the visa controversies and heightened geopolitical friction, the White House envoy reassured the public regarding the tournament's safety, noting that there are currently "no credible threats" against the event.

However, Giuliani added that the U.S. intelligence community has "tripled down" its efforts and will continue to actively monitor security "between now and whenever the final goal is scored on July 19."