Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women’s soccer players who sought asylum amid fears for their safety if they returned to the Islamic Republic, authorities confirmed.
The athletes are members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team — the sport known internationally as football — and had been competing in the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia when the controversy erupted.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who met the athletes, announced the women would be allowed to remain in the country. The team had been playing in Gold Coast, Queensland, on Australia’s east coast.
“I told them they were welcome to stay in Australia,” Burke confirmed after approving the humanitarian visas.
The players were moved to a secure location by the Australian Federal Police while their requests were processed, according to sources familiar with the situation.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated the government had prepared for the possibility that members of the Iranian team might request assistance as concerns grew about their safety amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran.
“They’re safe here and they should feel at home here,” Albanese stressed, adding that the offer of help remains open to other team members who may seek protection.
Authorities explained that Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), reviewed the cases before the visas were granted.
Burke added that ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess had informed him that security checks were completed before the decision.
The controversy began after several players declined to sing Iran’s national anthem before their opening match of the tournament, a gesture widely interpreted as a protest against the country’s leadership.
BACKLASH IN IRAN
Iranian state television commentators later branded the athletes “wartime traitors,” raising fears they could face punishment if forced to return home.
The criticism came as tensions mounted in Iran amid the country’s confrontation with Western powers.
Insiders suggested the team was closely monitored during the tournament by officials linked to Iranian authorities. Players were accompanied by minders from the delegation and reportedly faced restrictions on their movements outside the team hotel.
Human rights advocates argued such measures reflected concern within Iran’s leadership that some athletes might attempt to seek asylum.
BUS INCIDENT SPARKS OUTCRY
After Iran’s final match in the tournament, protesters briefly surrounded the team bus outside a hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast. Witnesses said some demonstrators chanted “save our girls” as the bus attempted to leave. Videos circulating online appeared to show several players making distress signals from inside the vehicle.
The incident intensified international calls for Australia to offer the athletes protection. Sports figures and activists warned the women could face retaliation if they returned to Iran.
TRUMP URGES ASYLUM
U.S. President Donald J. Trump intervened in the case, urging Australia to grant the players asylum. “Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning the athletes could face severe punishment if forced to return to Iran.
Trump pledged that the United States would accept the players if Australia declined to host them. He later announced that he spoke with Prime Minister Albanese about the situation and wrote in a subsequent post that “five have already been taken care of.”
