Where is Mehdi Taremi? How Israel conflict affects Iran star's Club World Cup participation with Inter Milan

Inter Milan headed into the FIFA Club World Cup after a difficult couple of weeks.

After losing their Serie A title to Napoli on the final weekend of the 2024/25 season, the Nerazurri were hammered 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final — a record loss in the showpiece match.

To compound matters, pre-match rumours that Simone Inzaghi was set to leave San Siro proved accurate, with the head coach taking charge of Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal.

Former Inter defender Cristian Chivu returned to take his place in the dugout and needed to adapt quickly as he was thrust straight into competitive action against Monterrey at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday, June 17.

All of this represented a considerable footballing challenge, but it pales next to the circumstances that could rule Inter striker Mehdi Taremi out of the tournament.

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What happened to Mehdi Taremi?

After Inter's Champions League disappointment, Taremi headed home to his native Iran.

He played in Iran's 3-0 World Cup qualification win over North Korea on Tuesday, June 10, scoring a 53rd international goal and also registering an assist.

Taremi remained in Tehran with friends and family after the match and was scheduled to join up with his Inter teammates ahead of the Monterrey match.

However, those plans instantly became unrealistic after Israel's air strikes against more than 100 major targets in Iran on Friday, June 13, including in the capital Tehran.

The escalating conflict means all flights from Iranian airports have been grounded.

Will Mehdi Taremi play at the Club World Cup?

The situation in Iran means Taremi's participation in the group stage is improbable at this point.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that it is unlikely that Taremi will be able to leave Iran to play any part in the tournament and Inter are operating under that assumption.

The Italian sports newspaper also reported Taremi was in "a safe place and sheltered from bombings".

The 33-year-old former Porto star posted a caption to his Instagram story on June 17 with a caption in Arabic that translated as: "Leave Iran alone."