Iran have qualified for the finals of the World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July, for a fourth consecutive edition but their presence is now potentially in doubt.
US President Trump told Politico: "I really don't care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They're running on fumes."
The United States and Israel began attacking targets in the country on Saturday, with the conflict in the Middle East since spreading to the wider region.
Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group games in the US, with their opener coming against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
Meanwhile, the repercussions of the conflict were continuing to impact on wortld sport.
A tennis tournament, the Fujairah Open, being played in the United Arab Emirates, which saw players flee the court on Tuesday, has now been cancelled. The second-tier ATP event had continued despite drone strikes from Iran on the country but play was halted after an oil terminal nearby was hit.
The England women's cricket team are exploring other options after their training camp in Abu Dhabi was cancelled, while Durham and Nottinghamshire have abandoned plans for their men's county teams to take pre-season tours to Abu Dhabi next week.
Durham's Australian director of cricket Marcus North said: "The safety and well-being of our players and staff is always our absolute top priority. After careful consideration, we believe this is the right decision."
Iraq's hopes of World Cup qualification were still being impacted with their players unable to get visas for the play-off tournament in Mexico while the team's coach, former Socceroos' boss Graham Arnold, remained stranded in the United Arab Emirates.
"Because of airspace closures, our head coach, Graham Arnold, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates," the Iraqi soccer federation said in a statement on Instagram on Wednesday.
"In addition, several embassies remain closed at the present time, preventing several professional players, technical and medical staff members from obtaining entry visas to Mexico."
Iraq are scheduled to play Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey, Mexico on March 31 for one of the last two qualification places for the World Cup
The US men's hockey team withdrew from a World Cup 2026 qualifier in Ismailia, Egypt, after an official advisory from the State Department urging all US citizens to leave nations within or close to conflict zones.
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