Iran won't have athletes at Paralympics due to Middle East conflict
· Yahoo Sports
Iran will not have any athlete competing at the Milan/Cortina Winter Paralympics, which open later on Friday, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a statement.
The only athlete due to represent the country, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, won't be able to travel safely due to ongoing conflict escalation in the Middle East, the IPC said.
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Mianaei was due to compete in two para cross-country skiing medal events: men's sprint standing and men's 10km classic standing.
"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," IPC president Andrew Parsons said.
"Since the conflict began on Saturday, the IPC and Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes with the NPC (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," he added.
The IPC added that Iran's flag will be removed from the athlete parade for the opening ceremony in Verona later.
The conflict in the Middle East has escalated following United States-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran's counterattacks since last Saturday.