ROME, March 6. /TASS/. The Iranian national team has pulled out from the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy this month, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a statement on Friday.
"The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed on Friday (6 March) afternoon that the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Iran will not compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games," the statement reads.
"NPC Iran had been due to participate with one athlete - two-time Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei - in two Para cross-country skiing medal events, the men’s sprint classic standing on 10 March, and men’s 10km interval start classic standing race on 11 March," according to the statement. "However, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Paralympian cannot travel safely to Italy."
Commenting on the decision, IPC President Andrew Parsons said: "It is really disappointing for world sport and especially for Aboulfazl that he is unable to travel safely to compete at his third Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026."
"Since the conflict began on Saturday, the IPC and Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes with the NPC [the National Paralympic Committee] and national ski federation to find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the Games. However, with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high," Parsons noted.
"With communication systems down across much of Iran, dialogue with NPC Iran and the national ski federation has not been easy," he continued. "We were informed by NPC Iran that safe passage to Milano Cortina 2026 was not possible, and, as a result, they would not be able to come to the Games."
"To not compete at a Paralympic Winter Games because of factors outside of his control after years of training and dedication is heartbreaking for the athlete and our sympathies are with Aboulfazl at this difficult time," the IPC chief added.
The tournament official website added that as a result "of NPC Iran’s non-participation, the country’s flag has been removed from the Athlete Parade for tonight’s Opening Ceremony at the Arena di Verona [on March 6]."
The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games will be held in Italy on March 6-15.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. The strikes targeted major Iranian cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats it said were emanating from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, striking targets inside Israel.
US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia also came under attack. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other key figures of the Islamic republic’s leadership were killed.