(Staff post from THE ABC NEWS AUS on 19 March 2026.)
Iranian
women's football team back in Iran, state media announces: Iran's national
women's football team has returned to the Islamic Republic after several of the
players sought asylum in Australia, Iranian media is reporting.
The
outlets shared footage of the players entering Iran after landing in Türkiye
and taking a bus to the border. They were greeted by some officials at the
border. Most of the team's players left Australia last week, travelling through
Malaysia and Oman on their way to Türkiye.
Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with the Brisbane Roar club. Others who initially sought asylum after the team was knocked out of the Women's Asian Cup later changed their minds and said they would return to Iran.
Iran's
squad arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the Iran war began
on February 28. The team initially gained global attention after some players
stayed silent during Iran's national anthem before their first game in the
Asian Cup.
The
silence was cast as an act of resistance or protest by some commentators and a
show of mourning by others. The players did not publicly disclose their views
or explain their actions and sang the anthem before their next two matches.
When the team was knocked out of the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for Australia's government to offer the women asylum. Six players and one staff member initially accepted offers of asylum, but five would later decide to leave Australia.
Iranian
groups in Australia and US President Donald Trump were among those who
expressed fears for the women's safety. Iranian first Vice President Mohammad
Reza Aref last week dismissed suggestions the women would be unsafe if they
returned home, saying the country "welcomes its children with open arms
and the government guarantees their security."
(Blogger's Notes: Apparently the IRGC woman-guard-cum-coach managed to join the asylum seekers at their Australian-Government-provided safe-house and showed the asylum seekers the horrifying videos of their families back home in Iran detained and being tortured, and eventually forced them to withdraw their asylum applications.)
