Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi is set to miss the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States after being stranded in Iran, where airspace remains shut due to the ongoing conflict with Israel.
The 32-year-old forward was expected to link up with his teammates in Los Angeles ahead of Inter’s tournament opener against Mexico’s Monterrey on Tuesday at the Rose Bowl Stadium. However, escalating hostilities and the closure of Iranian airports have disrupted his travel plans.
“The Iranian striker will not join the Nerazzurri, neither for the first match nor for the others,” La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
The newspaper added: “Inter have been in close contact with the Iranian authorities in Italy over the last 24 hours to comfort the player and try [to find] a solution that is currently impossible. The player is in Tehran in a safe place and sheltered from the bombings.”
Taremi’s departure was reportedly scheduled for Saturday, but flights were grounded following Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Iran responded with its own missile attacks, leaving the region in a heightened state of alert and grounding all outgoing flights.
“Taremi will miss Inter’s opening match against Monterrey on Wednesday,” noted Associated Press, “and Italian media said the 32-year-old will not feature in the other matches regardless of whether Iranian airspace reopens.”
Taremi recently led Iran to a 3-0 win over North Korea in an AFC World Cup qualifier at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. He also received the inaugural Iranian Toopa Award (Golden Ball) a day later.
The veteran striker, who signed a three-year deal with Inter in July 2024 after leaving FC Porto, played 26 matches in Serie A last season—scoring once—and featured 12 times in their Champions League campaign. However, he remained on the bench during Inter’s 5-0 loss to PSG in the final.
Taremi’s absence leaves Inter with a significant gap in attack as they prepare for a tough Group E featuring Monterrey, Argentina’s River Plate, and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.