IOC releases statement after US and Israel strike Iran

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a statement in the aftermath of the U.S. and Israel military strikes on Iran. 

The IOC shared the statement with Fox News Digital in response to an inquiry asking whether the committee considered the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran a violation of the Olympic truce. The statement concludes by saying "discussions being undertaken" as to how to best uphold the IOC's commitment to its neutrality principles.

"In a world shaken by conflict, division and tragedy, with lives being lost and tragedies experienced by so many, now more than ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope - a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition," the statement read. 

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"This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. The neutrality principle of the Olympic Movement was recently re-emphasised by the IOC Executive Board. Strengthening this approach and ensuring that it remains relevant in the future is central to the discussions being undertaken by a dedicated working group in the context of the Fit for the Future process."

The committee's recent reference to its "neutrality principle" was a Sept. 19 statement, coming at a time of early U.S. military action against Venezuelan targets. 

"In a world shaken 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 brings the whole world together in peaceful competition. This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism," the Sept. 19 statement read. 

After the Jan. 2 U.S. operation against Venezuela that captured its former dictator, Nicolás Maduro, the IOC provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response to a question of whether the operation would lead to U.S. banishment from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The committee ruled out any penalty on Team USA.

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

"The ability to bring athletes together, no matter where they come from, is fundamental to the future of values-based, truly global sport, which can give hope to the world.

"For this reason, the IOC cannot involve itself directly in political matters or conflicts between countries, as these fall outside our remit. This is the realm of politics."

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Since 2023, some activists around the globe have called for Israel to also be penalized by the IOC for the war in Gaza. 

The IOC directly rejected a request from Spain's government to bar Israel from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in September. 

"Both the National Olympic Committee of Israel and that of Palestine are recognized by the IOC and have the same rights. Both comply with the Olympic Charter and we continue working with them to mitigate the impact of the current conflict on athletes," the IOC said in a statement to Spanish media.

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

As the war rages on, some American and Israeli national team athletes have been impacted by Iranian counterstrikes in Israel. 

Israel's national gymnastics team has suspended all training and team activities amid the recent Iranian counterattack on the country following the U.S.-assisted strikes on Iran.

"The current security situation in our region has resulted in unavoidable disruptions to our regular training schedule and has created significant uncertainty regarding the national teams' professional plans, particularly as we are at the outset of the international season," the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"At this time, all training activities have been temporarily suspended, pending approval from the relevant authorities to safely resume operations. Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of airspace are causing considerable stress and concern. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remain our highest priority. We sincerely hope for safer and calmer days ahead, when we can focus solely on sport."

A source within the team told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts were moving between bomb shelters when Iran's counterstrikes began.

At least three American women's basketball players are currently stuck in the country, as South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley has 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 go off within viewing distance, as she is currently trapped in Jerusalem.

"It's my reality right now. It's a war zone. Right now it's pretty routine, you sit around, you wait for an alert on your phone, you wait for a siren, you go into a shelter in place, you wait for the all clear, and you just do it again, and do it again, and do it again," she told Fox News Digital. 

Evacuations of American citizens from the Middle East have begun, a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. 

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