Iran Ask FIFA To Ban Israel Amid Gaza War

The football federation of Iran has officially requested FIFA, the world football governing body, to suspend Israel’s football federation due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

An announcement published on the Iranian Football Federation’s website stated that Iran has asked FIFA to suspend the Israeli federation from all football-related activities entirely.

The request also asks for “immediate and serious measures” by FIFA and its member associations “to prevent the continuation” of the Israeli “crimes and provide food, drinking water, medicinal and medical supplies to innocent people and civilians“.

Naija News reports that the conflict in Gaza commenced on October 7 with an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants against Israel. According to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, approximately 1,160 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives.

In response, Israel pledged to eradicate Hamas and initiated air strikes and a ground offensive. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip reported that these actions resulted in the deaths of at least 27,947 people, primarily women and children.

Iran hailed Hamas’s attack on October 7 as a “success” but denied direct involvement, as the Islamic Republic does not recognize Israel and prohibits contact between Iranian and Israeli athletes.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged athletes in 2021 to avoid shaking hands with Israeli representatives as a means to secure medals.

Consequently, a weightlifter, Mostafa Rajaei, faced a lifetime ban for shaking hands with an Israeli competitor in Poland last August, resulting in the dismissal of the head of the delegation, Hamid Salehinia.

Additionally, Middle Eastern football associations, including Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, urged world football chiefs to ban Israel over the Gaza conflict with Hamas, as reported by Sky News on Thursday.