TEHRAN: Iran's football chief has announced ongoing discussions with the international football federation (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) aimed at restoring Iran's ability to host international matches. Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, revealed these developments following talks with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Taj explained that Iranian teams have been playing their matches in third-party countries due to regional tensions, following Iran's significant missile attacks on Israel in early October. He emphasized that these actions were a necessary response to what he described as provocations from the "usurping Zionist regime." Taj further expressed optimism that Iran's hosting rights would be reinstated, contingent upon the resumption of international flights to Iran and the absence of any extraordinary events in the upcoming weeks.