A Spanish man trekking from Madrid to Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been reported missing after crossing into Iran three weeks ago.
Sánchez had already warned his family before crossing into Iran that communication wouldn't be as easy as it had been in previous months.
Spain's Foreign Ministry said it had no information about Sánchez's whereabouts, adding that the Spanish ambassador to Tehran was handling the matter. Calls to the Iranian Foreign Ministry seeking comment were not immediately returned. “He has not been making propaganda, neither for nor against any situation. The only thing that moves him is supporting Real Madrid, and walking to get on time to the World Cup in Qatar," they said.
Sánchez arrived in Iraqi Kurdistan in late September, after trekking thousands of kilometers carrying a small suitcase in a wheeled cart, packed with little more than a tent, water purification tablets and a gas stove for his 11 months on the road. He said he wanted to learn how others lived before reaching Qatar, the first World Cup host country in the Arab world, in time for Spain's first match on Nov. 23.
Protests in Iran's Kurdish region after Amini's death kindled the nationwide unrest still roiling Iran. In response, Iranian forces have unleashed drone and artillery attacks targeting Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq.“He didn't look nervous at all. He told me, ‘I sorted out everything, don’t worry,’” he said.