United States Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has come under fire from Iran after admitting he “danced a happy dance” when the Iranian national football team was knocked out of the World Cup.

Iran’s campaign ended in heartbreaking circumstances when a late goal against Egypt was ruled out by VAR, which determined that Shoja Khalilzadeh’s toes were marginally offside. The 1-1 draw left Iran finishing third in Group G, narrowly missing out on a knockout stage spot for the best third-placed teams due to goal difference.

Speaking to reporters, Mullin, who heads the US Department of Homeland Security, said: “I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back. I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave US soil, and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.”

He further commented: “There wasn’t a single team that we had to spend more time dealing with than Iran.”

The Iranian squad’s World Cup preparations were significantly impacted by diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The team had to relocate its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, and was only permitted to enter the United States one day before their first two group matches in Los Angeles and two days before their final game in Seattle. After each match, they were required to return immediately to Mexico, while several staff members were denied entry visas.

Mullin also accused the Iranian delegation of attempting to smuggle an individual linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into the United States—an allegation that the Iran Football Federation dismissed as “false, fabricated and entirely baseless.”

Responding to Mullin’s remarks, a spokesperson for the federation stated: “Iranians are accustomed to the mistreatment and lies of US officials, so no one in Iran is surprised by such hostile comments. These remarks once again show that US officials lack respect for international law or the standards expected of a host nation capable of organising a major global sporting event.”

The spokesperson added: “The fact that he openly celebrates Iran’s elimination says far more about him than it does about our team. It reflects a level of pettiness that cannot even tolerate the presence of a football team competing on the world’s biggest stage.”

“After our match against New Zealand, our head coach said that the United States did not want Iran to remain in this tournament because of the inhumane and unprofessional treatment our team experienced. These latest comments only reinforce that belief.”

Referring to the bombing of a school in the Iranian town of Minab in February—a tragedy that Donald Trump attributed to Iran—the spokesperson further said: “When they kill 168 children and lie to the whole world about it, nothing this person says is surprising to any of us.”