Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, met with members of the Iranian Olympic delegation in the capital Tehran and used the event to spread anti-Israel propaganda and threaten his countrymen to cooperate with Israel in sports.
"The issue of resisting Zionist crimes, as expressed in sports, is a very important issue for any decent athlete," Khamenei told members of the delegation, adding that "Zionists seek legitimacy through their participation in international sporting events and arrogant Western countries help them with that."
"The Ministries of Sports, Foreign Affairs and Justice will strongly oppose any Iranian who cooperates with the Zionist entity in the field of sports and thereby gives it legitimacy. We will also work to support foreign athletes who refuse to recognize Israel and act against Muslim athletes who cooperate with it." Playing against Israel and being punished for it will definitely be the Olympic Committee, which banned him from participating in events for ten years.
"Proud Iranian athletes cannot shake hands with representatives of the occupying and plundering entity for a medal. Athletes have in the past boycotted apartheid in South Africa, and it has finally fallen. The Zionist regime will also end up being destroyed," Khamenei said.
Iran is known for the continuous repression of the community of athletes in it and along with the ban on establishing any contact with Israel, athletes were also harmed when they dared to protest against the regime.
Wrestler Nevid Apkari was executed last year in Tehran after protesting against the regime and confronting police forces in 2018.
