Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics, Donald Trump, FIFA, FIFA World Cup
Luke Davies
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a statement in relation to the ongoing civil unrest in Iran ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
As per the House of Commons, widespread protests began in Iran on December 28, 2025, with thousands taking to the streets about the poor economic state of the nation.
The Iranian government responded violently and shut down the internet while restricting foreign media access to the nation on January 8.
Protesters have called for Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, to step down, while US President Donald Trump urged protesters to “keep on protesting” as “help is on its way” on January 13.
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Since then, Trump has claimed that “time is running out” for Iran to strike a deal on its nuclear programme.
On Wednesday (January 28), Trump claimed a “massive Armada” was “moving quickly, with great power” towards Iran. It is thought that the “Armada” he mentioned was a US naval fleet in the Gulf.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, responded by saying the nation’s military was ready “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to any US aggression.
Iran is also one of the nations named on Trump’s travel ban and visa freeze list.
As a result of the travel ban, concerns have been raised about whether Iranian nationals will be able to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2028 Olympic Games, with both events taking place in the US.
A US State Department official, who spoke to the Mirror, insisted that the “ban applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only, and does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families, and media professionals intending to travel for the World Cup".
On January 26, former Iranian international footballer, Ali Karimi, who earned 127 caps for Iran, and three other internationals were among 20 people to sign an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to condemn the killing, arrests and threats made against the nation’s players.
FIFA has yet to publicly comment on the ongoing situation.
However, the IOC has commented, issuing a statement to Reuters in which the organisation voiced its concerns for the welfare of Iranian athletes.
"At this moment in time, we are particularly concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country - as we are with all athletes who face conflict and tragedies elsewhere in the world," the IOC said.
"Unfortunately, these situations are more regularly brought to our attention due to the increasingly divided world in which we live.
"We have to be realistic about the IOC's ability to directly influence global and national affairs. At the same time, we will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sport diplomacy."