Overview
- Issued Tuesday, the IOC appeal asked UN member states to help qualified athletes reach Milan-Cortina before Friday’s Paralympics opening in Verona following recent Middle East hostilities.
- The statement did not name the United States, Israel or Iran, and an IOC spokesperson declined to address those actions directly.
- The stance contrasts with 2022, when the IOC labeled Russia’s invasion an extreme Truce violation and supported broad sanctions and event relocations.
- International federations signaled uneven responses, with most monitoring the situation and the FEI canceling March competitions in Qatar and the UAE.
- The IOC emphasized political neutrality, cited ongoing work on that policy, and noted that both the U.S. and Israel co-sponsored the 2026 Truce resolution.