Carlos Queiroz, who was in charge of Portugal at the 2010 World Cup, guided Iran to the top of their AFC qualifying group but a sterner test awaits them in Brazil.
Drawn in Group F alongside Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Queiroz's men face a huge challenge to build on their solitary World Cup finals win.
Controversy has shrouded the build-up to this year's tournament, too, with a falling-out occurring between the Iranian football association and the nation's top domestic clubs.
The episode has hampered their build-up significantly and disrupted the progress that Queiroz had been making.
Midfielder Javad Nekounam has played a key role in his side's success, scoring four times in five Asian Cup qualifying matches and netting six goals in 14 games on the road to Brazil.
While the majority of the Iran squad are home-based, there are some more recognised names for Queiroz to call upon, most notably goalkeeper Daniel Davari of Eintracht Braunschweig and Fulham midfielder Ashkan Dejagah.
Dejan Damjanovic's first-minute penalty secured a 1-0 friendly win over Ghana in their last outing, while Friday's match against Slovakia ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Coach Branko Brnovic named four uncapped players in his squad for the meetings with Slovakia and Iran, with Danijel Petkovic, Sasa Balic, Darko Zoric and Miroje Jovanovic included.
