Olympic Committee reaffirms neutrality policy after US-Israel attack on Iran

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a statement after the US and Israeli military strikes in Iran.

The IOC shared the statement with Fox News Digital in response to an inquiry into whether the committee considers the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran a violation of the Olympic agreement. The statement concluded that “discussions are underway” about how best to support the IOC’s commitment to its neutrality principles.

“In a world rocked by conflicts, divisions and tragedies, with lives lost and tragedies befalling many, now more than ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stands firm in its belief that sport must always be a beacon of hope – a force that unites the whole world in peaceful competition,” the statement read.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM

“This is at the heart of the Olympic Movement and comes from the Basic Principles of Olympism. The goal of neutrality of the Olympic Movement has recently been reaffirmed by the IOC Executive Board. Strengthening this approach and ensuring that it remains relevant in the future is the basis of the discussions carried out by the working group dedicated to the context of the Fit for the Future process.”

The latest reference of the committee to the “principle of neutrality” was the statement of September 19, which comes at the time of the start of the US military against the targets of Venezuela.

“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 unites the world in peaceful competition. This is the basis of the Olympic Movement and comes from the Principles of Olympism,” a statement on Sept.

After the January 2 operation by the US against Venezuela that captured its former dictator, Nicolás Maduro, the IOC gave a statement to Fox News Digital in response to the question of whether this operation will lead to the expulsion of the US from the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The committee waived any penalty for Team USA.

“As a global organization, the IOC has to manage a complex reality. The IOC has to deal with the current political situation and the latest developments in the world,” the statement read.

“The ability to bring together athletes, regardless of where they come from, is essential to the future of sports based on principles, of global sports, which can give hope to the world.

“For this reason, the IOC cannot be directly involved in political issues or disputes between countries, as this is outside our mandate. This is a political field.”

As of 2023, some activists around the world have called for Israel to be sanctioned by the IOC for the war in Gaza.

The IOC outright rejected the Spanish government’s request to ban Israel from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in September.

“Both the Israeli and Palestinian National Olympic Committees are recognized by the IOC and have the same rights. Both comply with the Olympic Charter and we continue to work with them to reduce the impact of the current conflict on athletes,” the IOC said in a statement to Spanish media.

Russian athletes have been banned from competing in the Olympics since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russia invaded Ukraine just four days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February of that year, in violation of the Olympic Truce clause in the IOC charter. Russia also placed Ukrainian athletes there under the control of the Russian Olympic Committee.

As the war continued, some American and Israeli national team athletes were affected by Iranian strikes on Israel.

The land of Israel gymnastics team suspended all training and operations of the group during the latest Iranian attack on the country following US-backed strikes on Iran.

“The current security situation in our region has caused unavoidable disruptions to our regular training schedule and created a lot of uncertainty about the national team’s plans, especially as we are at the start of the international season,” Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“At the moment, all training activities are temporarily suspended, pending the approval of the relevant authorities to continue working safely. Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of the airspace causes a lot of stress and anxiety. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remains our top priority. We sincerely hope that we will focus more, when our days are calm and peaceful.”

A source inside the team told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts were walking between bomb shelters when the attack on Iran began.

At least three American women’s basketball players remain in the country, as South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley led a public effort to bring them home.

Former NCAA and Team USA women’s basketball player Destiny Littleton, who moved to Israel in November to play for a pro team in the country, has seen Iranian missiles and drones flying within sight, as she is currently holed up in Jerusalem.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

“It’s my reality right now. It’s a war zone. Right now it’s a good routine, you sit around, you wait for the notification on your phone, you wait for the siren, you go into the shelter in the area, you wait for the all clear, and you just do it again, and do it again, and do it again,” he told Fox News Digital.

The evacuation of American citizens from the Middle East has begun, a State Department official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle.