Vancouver, Canada - FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the US as scheduled on Thursday as he kicked off the global football body's summit in Vancouver.

Iran's participation at this year's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the US has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February, following strikes by the US and Israel.

Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates in Vancouver.

"Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026," Infantino said. "And of course, Iran will play [in] the United States of America."

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Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the US to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.

In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have considered Italy taking Iran's World Cup place.

The US government later distanced itself from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran's players would be welcome.