The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially announced that Iran has pulled out of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
Ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have made it impossible for the nation's lone representative to travel safely to the skiing events in northern Italy.
Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei was the only Iranian qualified to compete. His absence means Iran is completely out of the competition.
Organizers worked for a week to find "alternative routes" for the athlete, but the escalation of the war last Saturday closed all safe exits.
IPC leaders noted that this is the third time in four Winter Games that a war has broken out between the Olympics and the Paralympics (similar to the 2014 and 2022 conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine).
While Iran is out, the Paralympics will continue through March 15, 2026, featuring six sports across Milan and Cortina, with organizers hoping to keep the focus on the remaining athletes.
