Inter Milan's forward, Mehdi Taremi, finds himself unexpectedly আটকে in his native Iran amidst escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, resulting in his expected absence from the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The conflict has led to the grounding of all Iranian flights, preventing the Iranian international from joining his Inter Milan teammates in Los Angeles for the tournament.

Taremi was last with the Iranian national team, where he played in a World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Tehran just this past Tuesday, scoring in a 3-0 victory. However, the subsequent exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran has had far-reaching consequences, disrupting international travel and leaving Taremi unable to leave the country.

Inter Milan is scheduled to commence their Club World Cup campaign with a match against Mexico's Monterrey. Reports from Italian media suggest that the 32-year-old Taremi will likely miss all of Inter's Club World Cup matches, regardless of any potential de-escalation in the region or the reopening of Iranian airspace. The club is reportedly in constant communication with the player and exploring possible solutions to get him out of Iran, however, the immediate future remains uncertain.

Taremi's absence is a significant blow to Inter Milan's attacking options for the Club World Cup. Currently, Inter's available forwards include French international Marcus Thuram and Argentine star Lautaro Martinez, both of whom have recently rejoined the team after their international duties. Taremi's experience and goal-scoring ability would have been valuable assets for Inter as they compete for the title.

Mehdi Taremi joined Inter Milan as a free agent. In his first season with the Nerazzurri, Taremi has not quite lived up to the expectations that surrounded his arrival. While he has contributed with three goals and seven assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, he hasn't consistently found himself in the starting lineup. Some reports even suggest that Inter Milan may consider offloading him during the summer transfer window.

Born in Bushehr, Iran, Taremi began his professional career with Iranjavan FC. His career then took him to Portugal, where he played for Rio Ave before joining FC Porto in 2019 for a transfer fee of around 10 million euros. Taremi has been a prolific goalscorer for his national team, with 50 goals in 85 appearances, and has represented Iran in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Inter Milan proudly announced that Taremi is the first Iranian-origin player to join their ranks.