Iran Trip Approved

Five U.S. wrestlers will compete in an international meet in Tehran next month, the first time American athletes have been in Iran in almost two decades.

The trip to the Takhti Cup Feb. 19-21 was approved Monday night by the executive board of USA Wrestling.

Federation president Larry Sciacchentano said board members expressed “some reasonable concerns” about sending the five wrestlers and five coaches and administrators to a nation that has not had diplomatic relations with the United States since 1979.

But those concerns were outweighed by the chance to compete against some of the world’s best wrestlers.