Iran calls on IOC to bar Israel from sports events over war crimes
Iran’s minister of sports, citing human casualties and widespread destruction of sports infrastructure in recent US and Israeli attacks, has urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take a firm stance, suspend Israeli sports activities, and investigate the damage.
Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, in a letter to President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry, called for immediate action by the body regarding the unprovoked war of aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran which was launched on February 28.
Emphasizing the principles of the Olympic Charter, he urged action against violators and the suspension of Israeli teams from international competitions.
Donyamali condemned the US and Israeli attacks as a clear violation of national sovereignty and international law, denouncing them for being in direct contradiction with the peace-oriented ideals of sport.
Citing documented evidence, the minister said that these attacks directly targeted the country’s sports infrastructure, resulting in the complete destruction of the 12,000-seat hall at the Azadi Sports Complex and damage to 287 other sports facilities nationwide.
The attacks, the letter further read, also caused heavy human losses, including the deaths of 203 athletes (16 women and 187 men), as well as the killing of 168 students at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab following a direct strike by the US military on the school.
Donyamali stressed that these appalling actions have been characterized as violations of international obligations meant to protect civilians and public facilities.
The minister further pointed to the negative impacts of the war on Iran’s sporting activities, emphasizing that the closure of flight routes and wartime conditions have prevented Iranian athletes from participating in qualification events and international competitions.
This, Donyamali stressed, constitutes a clear violation of the principle of equal access to sport, particularly ahead of major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
In conclusion, the Iranian minister strongly urged the IOC to condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime and suspend the occupying entity’s sporting activities at the international level.
Donyamali also called on the Committee to dispatch a delegation to assess the damage to sports facilities and the violated rights of Iranian athletes, in order to uphold the principles of the Olympic Charter and ensure fairness in sport.
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