The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Friday that Iran will not participate in the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games scheduled for 2026 in Milan. This decision comes as a result of safety concerns stemming from ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Iran was set to be represented by Abulfazl Khatibi Mianei, a two-time Paralympian, who was scheduled to compete in two events: the men’s standing sprint on March 10 and the men’s standing 10 km interval race on March 11. However, the IPC confirmed that the athlete’s ability to travel safely to Italy has been compromised.
“This is truly disappointing for global sports, and especially for Abulfazl, who cannot safely travel to compete in his third Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina 2026,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons.
The opening ceremony for the Games is set to take place this evening at the historic Verona Arena, featuring 611 athletes from 55 countries. Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the IPC has permitted six Russian athletes and four from Belarus to compete under their national flags, rather than as neutral participants.
In a show of solidarity, the Ukrainian team will not attend the ceremony in Verona, joined by delegations from Austria, Romania, the United Kingdom, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland.
The Winter Paralympic Games will be held from March 6 to March 15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Iran's Paralympic Committee has confirmed its withdrawal from the 2026 Winter Paralympics due to safety concerns for its athlete, Abulfazl Khatibi Mianei. This decision follows the IPC's allowance for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.