In a heartbreaking development for world sport, Iran will have no representatives at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy.
The country’s sole athlete, 23-year-old cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, was forced to withdraw on Friday, March 6, 2026, due to the dangerous conflict currently involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S.
IPC President Andrew Parsons confirmed that despite days of searching for a safe travel route, the risk to human life was simply too high for the Iranian delegation to reach Italy.
This would have been Mianaei’s third Winter Games. The IPC expressed deep sympathy for the athlete, who has spent years training for this moment.
Because of the withdrawal, Iran’s flag will be absent from the athletes' parade during the opening ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Officials have called the current Middle East conflict a "breach of the Olympic truce," marking the third time in recent history that war has disrupted the Winter Paralympics.
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