Airstrikes by Israel and the United States against Iran, followed by Iranian counter-strikes against neighboring countries, violated the United Nations-backed Olympic truce that called for a suspension of hostilities through March 15. The clashes have cast a shadow over the Milan–Cortina Winter Paralympic Games, which were beginning as more than 660 elite athletes with disabilities from around the world — including delegations from Iran, Israel and the U.S. — assembled in Italy.
At least one athlete’s family remains stranded in Doha, Qatar, after flights were disrupted by the conflict. Michael Milton, a Paralympic alpine skier from Canberra, Australia, said his wife and two teenage children were forced to return to the airport after their plane turned around, spending about 24 hours at the airport before being given a hotel room. “They would love to get out of Doha and get to Italy, but there’s no timeline on that,” Milton told NPR. Asked whether he feared for their safety, he said he hoped Doha’s air defenses would hold and added, “It’s obviously not a great area to be in. I would prefer they weren’t there, but I wouldn’t say I’m concerned about their safety at this point.”
The idea of an Olympic truce stretches back to the ninth century B.C., when Greek rulers paused conflicts so athletes could travel and compete. The concept was revived by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations in the early 1990s amid intense fighting in the Balkans. Despite that history, truces have frequently been broken; for example, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022 just as the Winter Paralympics were set to open in Beijing.
Iran and Israel each qualified a single athlete for the 2026 Paralympics. Iran’s Abolfazl Khatibi, 23, is entered in para cross-country skiing; Israel’s Sheina Vaspi, 24, is expected to compete in para-alpine events. NPR contacted the International Paralympic Committee for information about the two athletes and their status but had not received an immediate response.
The Milan–Cortina Games were already marked by diplomatic tension after the IPC allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags, reversing the neutrality that had been required since 2022. That decision represents a significant shift from previous Olympic and Paralympic policy and prompted protests: at least six countries announced they would boycott the opening ceremonies in Verona on March 6.