Khamenei Reaffirms Iran’s Antisemitic Ban on Competing Against Israeli Athletes
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated the country’s longstanding policy of not allowing Iranian athletes to compete against Israelis at a reception on Saturday for Iranian Olympic medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“Any Iranian athlete worthy of the name cannot shake hands with a representative of the criminal regime in order to win a medal,” Khamenei said Saturday, as reported by Agence France-Presse. He added in comments posted on his official website, “The illegitimate, bloodthirsty … Zionist regime tries to win legitimacy by taking part in international sporting events attended by the world arrogance (Washington and the West), and our athletes cannot just stand idly by.”
Read More: The Algemeiner