Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five members of Iran’s women’s national football team after they sought asylum, saying they feared persecution if they returned home.
The decision was announced Tuesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the situation involving the Iranian players currently in Australia.
The remaining members of the squad are staying at a hotel on the Gold Coast. Albanese said assistance is available to any of them who wish to seek protection, though the decision ultimately rests with each player.
"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Albanese said at a news conference in Canberra. "They are safe here, and they should feel at home here.”
Iran’s women’s national team had traveled to Australia to compete in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said five players secretly left the team hotel with Australian police, and media reports said they were seeking assistance from the Australian government after "breaking free.”
Trump calls the Australian PM
After initially posting on social media that Australia was "making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be sent back home, Trump said in a later post that he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was "doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation.”
Trump said five members of the Iran squad "have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
"Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return,” he said.
In his earlier post, Trump said members of the team would "likely be killed” if forced to return to Iran. "The U.S. will take them if you won’t,” he added.
Albanese said Trump called him just before 2:00 a.m. (3:00 p.m. GMT Monday).
"I was able to convey to him the action that we had undertaken over the previous 48 hours, and that five of the team had asked for assistance, had received it and were safely located,” Albanese said.
The Iranian team’s campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament began just as the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The team was eliminated from the tournament on Sunday after losing 2-0 to the Philippines.
FIFPro voices concerns
Football’s global players’ union, FIFPRO, said Monday there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iran team after they were labeled "wartime traitors” for refusing to sing their national anthem before a game.
The players’ decision to stand in silence during Iran’s anthem before their first match against South Korea was described by a commentator on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting as the "pinnacle of dishonour.”
Iranian media quoted Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women’s affairs at the Iranian Football Federation, as saying the team had left the hotel through the back door with police.
"We have contacted the embassy, the football federation, the foreign ministry and anywhere possible to see what will happen,” she said. "We have even spoken with the families of these five players.”
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke posted pictures on his X account showing him posing with the five players in an undisclosed location and another photo showing him signing documents.
His office identified the players as Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh.
Burke said the government had been in secret talks with the players for days but acknowledged fleeing was a difficult decision.
"Even though the offer continues to be there for other members of the team, it is quite possible and indeed likely that not every woman on the team will decide to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer them,” he said.
Iranian media said other team members were still in Australia and quoted Shojaei as saying the squad had planned to return to Iran via Dubai, but the United Arab Emirates had not allowed them to do so.
It said efforts are now expected to be made for the team to return via Malaysia and Turkey.
The Iranian team sang their national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders.
Australia granted emergency humanitarian visas to more than 20 members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and banned women’s sport.