Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi is stranded in Iran after Israel’s bombing of Tehran.
Taremi, 32, was named in Inter’s squad for the Club World Cup in the United States and their first fixture comes on Wednesday against Mexican side Monterrey.
He had flown back to his homeland to accept Iran’s Footballer of the Year award and planned to then jet straight out to Los Angeles to join his club team-mates.
The frontman was also in Iran to play for the national team in their World Cup qualifiers against Qatar and North Korea, and scored against the latter.
However, the rapid escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran saw Israeli missiles and jets bombard nuclear and military facilities, with Tehran targeted.
As a result, all flights from Iranian airports have been grounded until further notice.
Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi is stranded in Iran after Israeli missile attacks
Taremi was set to fly out to Los Angeles from his homeland for the Club World Cup
Inter touched down in the United States earlier this week without Iranian international Taremi
According to Sky Italia, Inter are in ‘constant contact’ with Taremi as they look to find a solution that will allow him to leave the country and fly to the US.
Iran was targeted with several waves of missiles on Thursday and Friday and the Ayatollah regime responded with retaliatory attacks overnight.
Iran’s state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, were killed after an Israeli attack on a housing complex in Tehran. Earlier, the country’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that at least 78 people had been killed.
Three people have died after the Iranian strikes on Israel, with dozens more injured.
Taremi remained on the bench during Inter’s Champions League final defeat by PSG but made 43 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring three goals.
Inter, now managed by Christian Chivu, will play Monterrey, Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds and Argentine side River Plate in their Club World Cup group.
Meanwhile, Britain is sending more jets to the Middle East after Iran warned the United States and UK that it could retaliate if they come to Israel’s defence.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the planes will offer ‘contingency support across the region’ amid the mounting hostilities between Iran and Israel.
Taremi played two World Cup qualifiers for Iran and accepted their Footballer of the Year award
Pictured: A damaged building in the Iranian capital, Tehran, following the Israeli attack
Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as air raid sirens rang out during Iran’s retaliatory attacks
‘I am absolutely clear that this needs to de-escalate’, Starmer said on Saturday.
Iranian-owned Mehr news agency said, without citing any officials: ‘Any country that participates in repelling Iranian attacks on Israel will be subject to Iranian forces targeting all regional bases of the complicit government’.
France was also implicated in Iran’s chilling threat, which came as Israel warned ‘Tehran will burn’ if Iran keeps targeting its civilians.
