After more than 40 years of sour relations and months of struggle to restore a nuclear deal, the United States and Iran are now set to meet on the soccer field at this year’s World Cup, having landed together in Group B in Friday’s draw.
The icy U.S.-Iran relationship, characterised by diplomatic and even military confrontation in past years, has the potential to thaw somewhat by the time they play in Qatar on Nov. 21. It could also get worse.
In 2020, the two countries were on the brink of war after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general and Tehran responded with retaliatory missile strikes at U.S. forces based in Iraq.
