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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a statement in the wake of the US and Israeli military attacks on Iran.
The IOC shared the statement with Pakinomist Digital in response to a query asking whether the committee considered the US and Israeli attacks on Iran a violation of the Olympic ceasefire. The statement concludes by saying “discussions are underway” on how best to uphold the IOC’s commitment to its principles of neutrality.
“In a world rocked by conflict, division and tragedy, where lives are lost and tragedies experienced by so many, now more than ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope – a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition,” the statement read.
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“This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and stems from the fundamental principles of the Olympic Movement. The principle of neutrality in the Olympic Movement was recently re-emphasized by the IOC Executive. Strengthening this approach and ensuring that it remains relevant in the future is central to the discussions carried out by a dedicated working group in relation to the future process.”
The committee’s recent reference to its “principle of neutrality” was a Sept. 19 statement that came at a time of early U.S. military action against Venezuelan targets.
“In a world rocked by conflict and division, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope – a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition. This is the very heart of the Olympic Movement and stems from the founding principles of Olympism,” the statement read on 19 September.
Following the January 2 US operation against Venezuela that captured its former dictator, Nicolás Maduro, the IOC issued a statement to Pakinomist Digital in response to a question about whether the operation would lead to the US’s expulsion from the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The committee ruled out any punishment on Team USA.
“As a global organization, the IOC must manage a complex reality. The IOC must deal with the current political context and the latest developments in the world,” the statement read.
“The ability to bring athletes together, wherever they come from, is fundamental to the future of value-based, truly global sport that can give hope to the world.
“For this reason, the IOC cannot directly involve itself in political affairs or conflicts between countries, as these fall outside our mandate. This is the realm of politics.”
Since 2023, some activists around the globe have called for Israel to also be punished by the IOC for the war in Gaza.
The IOC outright rejected a request by Spain’s government to exclude Israel from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles in September.
“Both Israel’s National Olympic Committee and Palestine’s 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 said in a statement to Spanish media.
Russian athletes have been banned from the Olympics since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russians invaded Ukraine just four days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February of that year, in violation of the Olympic ceasefire clause in the IOC’s charter. Russia also put Ukrainian athletes there under the control of the Russian Olympic Committee.
As the war rages on, some American and Israeli national team athletes have been affected by Iranian counterattacks in Israel.
Citizen of Israel gymnastics team has suspended all training and team activities amid the recent Iranian counterattack on the country following the US-backed attacks on Iran.
“The current security situation in our region has resulted in unavoidable disruptions to our regular training schedule and has created significant uncertainty around the national teams’ professional plans, especially as we are at the start of the international season,” Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) said in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
“At this time, all training activities are temporarily suspended, pending approval from the relevant authorities to safely resume operations. Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of the airspace causes great stress and concern. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remains our highest priority. We sincerely hope for a safe and calm head on a calmer sports day.”
A team source told Pakinomist Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts were moving between bomb shelters when Iran’s counterattack began.
At least three USA 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 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 go off within sight as she is currently trapped in Jerusalem.
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“That’s my reality right now. It’s a war zone. Right now it’s pretty routine, you’re sitting, you’re waiting for an alarm on your phone, you’re waiting for a siren, you’re going into a shelter in place, you’re waiting for everything to be clear, and you just do it again, and do it again, and do it again,” she told Pakinomist Digital.
Evacuations of American citizens from the Middle East have begun, a senior State Department official told Pakinomist Digital on Tuesday.
