US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has celebrated Iran’s elimination from the World Cup, saying he did a “happy dance,” Sports Business Journal reports.
The Iranian team barely missed out on reaching the knockout rounds of the tournament. They drew all three of their matches in Group G and finished as the ninth-best third-place team after Austria scored a last-minute goal against Algeria in the final group-stage match. The top eight third-place teams earned spots in the round of 32.
Mullin didn’t hide his overjoyed reaction to the news that Iran was eliminated. He spoke at a World Cup security briefing in Washington, per SBJ, saying he was “so glad they’re gone” and that he was “very happy they’re going back because there wasn’t a single team that we dealt with more than them.
Mullin told reporters following the Monday briefing, according to SBJ, “I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back. I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil, and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.”
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
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