Iran vice-president to attend World Cup openers

Reuters: Iranian Vice President Mohammad Aliabadi will attend the opening match of the World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich on Friday, the German government said on Wednesday. By Volker Warkentin

BERLIN (Reuters) – Iranian Vice President Mohammad Aliabadi will attend the opening match of the World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich on Friday, the German government said on Wednesday.

Aliabadi, who is one of seven vice presidents and is responsible for sport policy, will also be at Iran’s opening match against Mexico in Nuremberg on June 11, police in the Bavarian city said.

A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry in Berlin said there was no new information about whether Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would travel to Germany for the competition.

Iranian team officials have raised the prospect of Ahmadinejad coming to Germany if the side reach round two.

He has clashed with the West over Iran’s nuclear program and drawn condemnation for a series of comments, including questioning whether the Holocaust took place and calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.

There is no ban on Iranian officials traveling to Germany.

Iran are in Group D and will also play against Angola and Portugal.