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May 16 (Reuters Sports Service) - FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström will meet with Iranian football federation officials in Istanbul on Saturday and "reassure" them about Iran's participation in the World Cup, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.

Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group stage matches at the World Cup in the United States, but the team's participation in the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, has been in doubt since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Further questions were raised after Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj was barred from entering Canada to attend FIFA's general assembly in Vancouver earlier this month because of his ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The United States and Canada, which are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a “terrorist entity” and have made it clear that they will not allow entry to anyone with ties to this elite military force.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said in a social media post last week that it is FIFA’s duty to ensure that all teams and their delegations can enter the host countries.

He wrote, "The Iranian national football team has earned its right to participate from the field in accordance with FIFA regulations."

He added, "Any obstruction of the entry of players, technical staff, federation officials, or key members of the Iranian delegation would be contrary to the spirit and objectives of the World Cup."

He continued, "If the organizing body cannot guarantee that all qualified teams, including Iran, can enter the host country without discrimination or restrictions and compete on a level playing field, the credibility of the World Cup will be damaged."

The source stated that FIFA is working in close coordination with the relevant authorities to ensure that all teams participating in the World Cup can compete in a safe and secure environment.

Two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump stated that he "did not mind" Iran's participation in the World Cup, despite the conflict between the two countries that erupted following airstrikes on the Islamic Republic.

Iran had requested that its World Cup matches be moved to Mexico, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists that all matches be played at the originally scheduled venues.

The Iranian national team will leave Tehran on Monday for a training camp in Türkiye, before moving to its base in the United States at the Keno Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona in early June.

The Iranian national team is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.