Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj announced on Wednesday that he will meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the next three to four days to seek guarantees that Iran will be respected during the World Cup in the United States.

Canada, co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 tournament with the U.S. and Mexico, recently denied Taj entry due to his past links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Taj warned that Iran could withdraw from the World Cup if FIFA cannot ensure respect for the country’s institutions. “We will tell FIFA what our expectations are. If they can address them, we will definitely participate,” Taj told state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran.

He added, “But if there is no guarantee that they will be addressed, then no one has the right to insult us or the pillars of our system. And if they continue on the path of disrespect, and even ask our players those kinds of questions, we may make a different decision.”

The U.S. and Canada classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity” and have stated they will not allow entry to individuals linked to the elite military force. Taj, who previously held a senior position in the IRGC before moving into soccer administration, received support from Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.

Baghaei said, “Our national football team is not ‘travelling’ to the United States; we are going there to take part in the FIFA World Cup. It is FIFA’s responsibility to provide all necessary facilities and conditions. Host governments must issue visas and provide arrangements without political considerations. We hope FIFA will take the necessary measures to preserve its credibility.”

Iran’s participation has been uncertain since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February escalated regional tensions.

Taj also confirmed that a preliminary 30-man squad will be announced this week, later reduced to 26 after a training camp in Turkey. Coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team plans to arrive in the U.S. 14 days before the tournament. While he hopes for two or three warm-up matches, arranging friendlies has been challenging.

The squad will remain in Tehran for another week before departing for Turkey on May 16, where they previously faced Costa Rica and Nigeria in friendlies. Team Melli will open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, with their U.S. base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. -Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, additional reporting by Aadi Nair, editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters