The event had been scheduled for yesterday and today, but was postponed by the UWW Executive Committee following a meeting in Istanbul on Sunday (November 24).

The UWW claims its Executive Committee assessed a variety of sources, including the associated Foreign Ministries' recommendations to travellers in Iran and the recent decisions of other sports.

It was also said to have been acknowledged by the Executive Committee that two teams had already withdrawn their participation due to the recommendations of their nations.

"Considering its responsibility towards athletes and teams; and that the situation has not reached a satisfactory degree of stability for the holding of such an international event; and with a concern for avoiding any risk on our athletes, the Executive Committee has decided to postpone the holding of the World Cup GR until further notice," UWW secretary general Michel Dusson said in a letter to concerned National Federations.

However, the IRIWF has expressed its opposition to the decision.  

"Everything is ready for an ideal hosting of the event; so I believe postponing the Games is meaningless," spokesman Hassan Rangraz said in an interview with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

Rangraz also stated the IRIWF was trying to present the required evidence to the UWW to prove Iran's stable condition and its readiness to hold the event.

"We will definitely host the World Cup, but we are waiting to receive information [from UWW] about the exact date of the event," he was reported as saying by Mehr News Agency.

NOCIRI President Reza Salehi Amiri has also protested the decision in a letter to UWW counterpart Nenad Lalović.

As reported by Mehr News Agency, Salehi Amiri describes it as "hasty, sensational and under the influence of incorrect propaganda by western states against Iran".

He also added that he would pen letters to his Japanese, Russian and Georgian counterparts to reassure them that Iran is completely safe for any international events.

Furthermore, he declared the official positions of NOCIRI, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran as being that the country is completely safe and has no problem hosting any events.

The Ministry insists the event will be going ahead at some point, but there has been no official announcement from UWW.

"With the efforts of the National Olympic Committee, Iran’s Wrestling Federation and talks with President of Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili, and also contributions of Iranian Foreign Ministry and using capacities of Georgian, Japanese, and Russian envoys to Iran, holding of the Greco-Roman World Cup has been confirmed in Tehran with a change in its date," a Ministry statement said.

It is not the first time UWW has found itself in a row with Iran.

In February 2018, the world governing body banned Alireza Karimi for six months for deliberately losing the quarter-final of his under-86 kilograms freestyle contest at the 2017 Under-23 World Championships in Polish city Bydgoszcz, to avoid Israel's Uri Kalashnikov in the next round.

His coach Hamidreza Jamshidi was also handed a two-year penalty.

The Islamic Republic does not recognise the Jewish state and forbids its sportsmen from competing against Israelis.

Lalović has previously called on countries who refuse to let athletes from Israel compete to be banned from hosting major events.