Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi will miss the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States after being unable to leave Iran due to the closure of Iranian airspace amidst escalating military tensions with Israel.
The 32-year-old striker, who was scheduled to fly out of Tehran on Saturday, has been left stranded following the grounding of all outgoing flights from Iranian airports. The travel disruption comes in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets, which prompted authorities in Tehran to shut down their airspace as a precautionary measure.
Taremi had recently featured for Iran in a 3-0 victory over North Korea in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran. However, despite playing a key role in that fixture, the experienced forward will now be forced to sit out of Inter Milan’s Club World Cup campaign, which kicks off against Mexico’s Monterrey on Wednesday in Pasadena.
Inter are also scheduled to play Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and River Plate (Argentina) in the group stage, but Italian reports suggest Taremi is unlikely to participate in any of the fixtures even if flights resume.
Taremi joined Inter from FC Porto last year and made 43 appearances across all competitions this season. He featured in 26 Serie A matches, scoring once, and played a supporting role in the club’s Champions League journey. Though present in the squad during the final, he remained an unused substitute as Inter fell 5-0 to Paris Saint-Germain.
The situation highlights the far-reaching impact of geopolitical tensions on global sport, with clubs now grappling with player unavailability due to international conflict.
As of now, Inter Milan have not issued an official statement regarding a potential replacement for Taremi in the squad.