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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a statement following the military attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The IOC shared the statement with Pak Gazette Digital in response to an investigation into whether the committee considered the US and Israeli attacks on Iran to be a violation of the Olympic truce. The statement concludes by saying that “discussions are taking place” about how to best uphold the IOC’s commitment to its principles of neutrality.
“In a world shaken by conflict, division and tragedy, with lives lost and tragedies experienced by so many people, now more than ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) remains steadfast in its conviction that sport must remain a beacon of hope, a force uniting the entire world in peaceful competition,” the statement read.
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“This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. The principle of neutrality of the Olympic Movement was recently re-emphasized by the IOC Executive Board. Strengthening this approach and ensuring that it remains relevant in the future is fundamental to the discussions being carried out by a dedicated working group in the context of the Prepare for the Future process.”
The committee’s recent reference to its “principle of neutrality” was a statement on September 19, at a time of early US military action against Venezuelan targets.
“In a world shaken by conflict and division, the Executive Board (EC) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) remains steadfast in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope, a force uniting the entire world in peaceful competition. This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism,” reads the September 19 statement.
Following the Jan. 2 U.S. operation against Venezuela that captured its former dictator, Nicolás Maduro, the IOC provided a statement to Pak Gazette Digital in response to a question about whether the operation would lead to the United States’ banishment from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The committee ruled out any penalties for the US team.
“As a global organization, the IOC has to manage a complex reality. The IOC has to deal with the current political context and the latest events in the world,” the statement reads.
“The ability to unite athletes, no matter where they come from, is fundamental to the future of a truly global and values-based sport, which can give hope to the world.
“For this reason, the IOC cannot get directly involved in political affairs or conflicts between countries, as they are outside our powers. This is the realm of politics.”
Since 2023, some activists around the world have called for the IOC to also penalize Israel for the war in Gaza.
The IOC in September directly rejected a request from the Spanish government to exclude Israel from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Both the National Olympic Committee of Israel and Palestine are recognized by the IOC and have the same rights. Both comply with the Olympic Charter and we continue to work with them to mitigate the impact of the current conflict on athletes,” the IOC stated in statements to the Spanish media.
Russian athletes have been banned from competing in the Olympics since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russia invaded Ukraine just four days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February of that year, a violation of the Olympic Truce clause of the IOC statutes. Russia also placed Ukrainian athletes under the control of the Russian Olympic Committee.
As the war continues, some athletes on the American and Israeli national teams have been affected by Iranian counterattacks on Israel.
Israel national gym equipment has suspended all team training and activities amid the recent Iranian counterattack on the country following the US-assisted attacks on Iran.
““The current security situation in our region has caused inevitable disruptions to our regular training program and created significant uncertainty regarding the professional plans of the national teams, particularly now that we are at the beginning of the international season,” he said. Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) said in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital.
“At this time, all training activities have been temporarily suspended, pending approval from the relevant authorities to safely resume operations. Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of airspace is causing considerable stress and concern. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remains our top priority. We sincerely hope for safer, calmer days to come, when we can focus solely on sport.”
A source within the team told Pak Gazette Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts were moving between bomb shelters when Iran’s counterattacks began.
At least three American basketball players are currently stuck in the country, as South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has led a public effort to bring them home.
Former NCAA and Team USA women’s basketball player Destiny Littleton, who moved to Israel in November to play for a professional team in the country, has seen Iranian missiles and drones fired within range as she is currently trapped in Jerusalem.
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“It’s my reality right now. It’s a war zone. Right now it’s pretty routine, you sit, you wait for an alert on your phone, you wait for a siren, you shelter in place, you wait for everything to be clear, and you just do it again, and you do it again, and you do it again,” he told Pak Gazette Digital.
Evacuations of American citizens from the Middle East have begun, a senior State Department official told Pak Gazette Digital on Tuesday.
