Donyamali in Letter to IOC President: Sporting Activities of the Usurping Israeli Regime Must Be Suspended

In a letter to the President of the IOC, the world’s highest governing body for sports, the Minister of Sport requested that, in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter, the necessary decisions be taken against those who have violated the Charter, resulting in the martyrdom of many athletes and the serious destruction of Iranian sports facilities during these brutal attacks.

The main themes of Dr. Donyamali's message to Kirsty Coventry are the condemnation of the crimes committed by the child-killing Israeli regime and the suspension of the regime’s sports teams from international events.

The letter from the Minister of Sport and Youth addressed to the President of the International Olympic Committee reads:

"Ms. Kirsty Coventry

Honorable President of the International Olympic Committee

Greetings and renewed respect;

Iran, as the cradle of one of the oldest human civilizations, has always been founded throughout history on a culture of peace, tolerance, and human dignity. We believe that sport is the common language of nations for promoting peace and friendship; an ideal that forms the spirit of the Olympic Charter, aimed at uplifting human status and safeguarding global peace through sporting arenas.

Nevertheless, the recent aggressive invasions by the U.S. and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran are not only a clear violation of national sovereignty and international law but also directly target the pillars of sport and the Olympic ideals.

Official documentation indicates that the country’s sporting infrastructure, which belongs to the youth generation and the sporting community, has been subjected to deliberate attacks. This includes the total destruction of the 12,000-seat hall at the Azadi Sports Complex—a symbol of our national and international sporting assets—along with serious damage to 287 other sports centers across the country.

More painful than the material losses is the loss of precious lives cut short in these attacks. The martyrdom of 203 of our athletes, including 16 women and 187 men, as well as the tragic death of 168 students from the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab—who lost their lives during the U.S. Army's invasion via direct fire on the school—has left a deep wound on the body of the sports community. These actions contradict international obligations regarding the protection of civilians and public places.

Furthermore, the imposition of wartime conditions has deprived our athletes of their natural right to participate in global arenas; Iranian athletes in numerous sports disciplines have been prevented from attending qualifying tournaments and other competitions due to war conditions and the closure of flight routes. This deprivation is a clear instance of discrimination and a violation of the principle of equal access to sport, as stipulated in the Olympic Charter, raising serious concerns on the eve of major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games.

The Olympic Movement is duty-bound to take a decisive stand against any action that jeopardizes global peace and the safety of athletes. Given that the countless crimes of the Zionist regime against humanity—including in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Islamic Republic of Iran—violate fundamental principles such as respect for human dignity and the promotion of a peaceful society, the International Olympic Committee is hereby explicitly requested to:

Condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime to demonstrate to the world that this international body, based on the Olympic Charter, opposes any violation of human rights and aggression against human dignity.

Based on existing precedents and procedures for dealing with violators of the Olympic Charter, take appropriate action to suspend the sporting activities of the Zionist regime in all international arenas.

Establish a committee to document and evaluate the damages inflicted upon sports facilities and the violated rights of Iranian athletes.

It is expected that your esteemed institution, relying on its independence and historical mission, will not allow violence and aggression to cast a shadow over the peaceful spirit of sport."

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