MENA Sports Wrap: Israel's Iran strikes kill padel and taekwondo stars

As Israel's military campaign expands from Gaza and Lebanon to Iran, the fallout is being felt in MENA sports, from grounded players to young athletes killed in airstrikes. In Iran, Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi remains stuck at home, unable to join his team in Los Angeles for the Club World Cup due to flight suspensions following Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, two rising stars in Iranian taekwondo and padel were killed in attacks on Tehran.

In Gaza, the Palestinian sports community is mourning yet another loss: Ahmed al-Mufti, captain of the national volleyball team, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, bringing the number of athletes killed since October to more than 700.

Inter Milan ace Mehdi Taremi stranded in Iran

Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi is unlikely to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup due to being stuck in Iran after Israel launched eight days of air strikes on the country.

The striker, 32, has been unable to fly out of Tehran after Iran shut its airspace amid a dramatic military showdown with Israel.

Taremi had just bagged a goal for his country in a World Cup qualifier against North Korea last week and was due to link up with his club in Los Angeles, but after Israel launched airstrikes on Iran early Friday morning, hitting military and nuclear sites, all flights were grounded. Tensions have since spiralled into a full-blown conflict with rockets and air strikes exchanged between the two sides.

Taremi is now stuck at home with his family, just days before Inter kick off their campaign against Monterrey at LA's Rose Bowl on Tuesday. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, his club "has been in close contact with Iranian authorities in Italy to comfort the player and try to find a solution that is currently impossible". The newspaper said Taremi is "in a safe place and sheltered from the bombings".

On Monday, Taremi posted an Instagram story with the caption: "Leave Iran alone."

Inter is one of 12 European clubs taking part in the £775 million prize Club World Cup, which includes teams from across the Middle East and North Africa such as Al-Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, Casablanca’s Wydad and Al-Ain.

The MENA clubs experienced a night of heartbreak and heroics on Wednesday at the tournament. Al-Hilal held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in Miami, with Ruben Neves equalising Morocco's Atlas Lion and goalkeeper Yassine Bono saving a late penalty. Wydad AC fell 2-0 to Manchester City in Philadelphia. 

But the biggest blow came for UAE's Al-Ain, who suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to the Italian team Juventus in Washington. 

Amir Ali Amini, described by Fars Province's Taekwondo Association as a "young taekwondo student", was killed instantly in the attack on the Shahid Chamran Nobonyad Complex in northeast Tehran. His father, Reza Amini, was critically wounded and later died from his injuries. The Iranian Taekwondo Federation confirmed Amir's death, mourning the loss of a dedicated student athlete.

The airstrike was one of the deadliest since the start of the Israeli assault, with some 200 civilians killed, including 20 children, according to Iranian reports.

Also among the dead was Parsa Mansour, a 20-year-old padel player considered one of Iran's most promising young talents.

"The young player [was] killed as he was returning home after a training session," the Iranian Tennis Federation said. Mansour was remembered as "a passionate, committed young man, appreciated by his peers".

His death, the federation added, "illustrates a painful reality: geopolitical conflicts also have consequences for the world of sport".

Palestinian volleyball captain killed in Israeli strike on Gaza

In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed Ahmed al-Mufti, captain of the Palestinian national volleyball team, one of hundreds of athletes to die in the war on the enclave.

Al-Mufti, who also played for Jabalia Youth Club, was among more than 700 Palestinian athletes reported killed since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Sports Media Association (PSMA). In a statement earlier this year, the group said at least 95 of those killed were children.

His death follows that of handball coach Ahmad Haroun and player Anas al-Debji, both killed in separate Israeli strikes earlier this year. Haroun died in an artillery attack on his home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, while al-Debji was killed when a strike hit his family's home in Deir al-Balah.

The PSMA said the war has also destroyed at least 273 sports facilities across Gaza, including stadiums, gyms, and club buildings. Head of the association, Mustafa Siyam, warned that these attacks are not just physical but cultural, describing them as part of a deliberate campaign against Gaza's sporting and social fabric.

"These attacks will significantly impact the future of Palestinian sports and have devastating effects on thousands of athletes," Siyam said in a statement in January, urging international sporting bodies to act to protect Palestinian lives and infrastructure.