Although the news on was reported on state-television, the office of sports chief Ali Saeidlou categorically denied to have sent a letter on the issue to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The denial by the sports organization, which acts under the supervision of the presidential office, is believed to be made due to political pressure and following harsh reactions to the initiative of Saeidlou who is close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iran's sports organization sought new guidelines how to proceed in competing with Israeli athletes at international events, the ISNA news agency reported earlier Monday.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran does not acknowledgeIsrael as a sovereign state and even refrains to call it its name. The official term for Israel in Iran is "Zionist regime."
Due to the official stance in Tehran, Iranian athletes have thereafter not competed against Israelis at international competitions as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians.
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