Iran gamers react throughout their nationwide anthem forward of the Ladies’s Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Dave Hunt/AP
cover caption
toggle caption
Dave Hunt/AP
GOLD COAST, Australia — Australia granted asylum to 5 members of the Iranian girls’s soccer group who have been visiting the nation for a match when the Iran struggle started, a authorities minister mentioned Tuesday.
The announcement adopted days of urging by Iranian teams in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Australian authorities to assist the ladies, who had not spoken publicly a few want to declare asylum. The group drew widespread hypothesis and information protection in Australia when gamers did not sing the Iranian anthem earlier than their first match.
Early Tuesday, Australian federal law enforcement officials transported 5 of the ladies from their lodge in Gold Coast, Australia, “to a safe location” after they made asylum requests. There, they met with Dwelling Affairs Minister Tony Burke and the processing of their humanitarian visas was finalized, the minister instructed reporters in Brisbane hours later.
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” mentioned Burke, who posted pictures to social media of the ladies smiling and clapping as he signed paperwork. “People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.”
The ladies granted asylum have been glad for his or her names and photos to be revealed, he mentioned. Burke added that the gamers wished to clarify that they have been “not political activists.”
Future stays unknown for 21 in squad and others
The Iranian group arrived in Australia for the Ladies’s Asian Cup final month, earlier than the Iran struggle started on Feb. 28. The group was knocked out of the match over the weekend and confronted the prospect of returning to a rustic underneath bombardment. Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari mentioned Sunday the gamers “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can.”
An official squad record named 26 gamers, plus Jafari and different coaches. Burke mentioned the provide of asylum was prolonged to all on the group.
“These women are tremendously popular in Australia, but we realize they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making,” Burke mentioned. “The opportunity will continue to be there for them to talk to Australian officials if they wish to.”
It was not clear when the remaining gamers have been as a result of depart Australia, however a commotion erupted Tuesday afternoon exterior the group’s lodge as members of the general public kneeled or lay in entrance of a white bus with tinted home windows believed to be carrying the remainder of the group.
The identities of these on the bus and its vacation spot could not be instantly confirmed. Comparable autos have transported gamers to and from their video games.
The protesters, some carrying crimson, white and inexperienced clothes or holding pre-Revolution Iranian flags, tried to stop the bus from departing the lodge, but it surely was delayed by solely minutes. Some chanted “Save our girls” and “Please act now.”
Iranian group fashionable in Australia
Burke did not element what threats the gamers confronted in the event that they returned to Iran. In the course of the match, the ladies have principally declined to touch upon the scenario at dwelling, though Iran ahead Sara Didar choked again tears in a information convention Wednesday as she shared their considerations for his or her households and all Iranians.
The Iranian group has drawn nationwide information protection in Australia after the gamers’ silence throughout the anthem earlier than a gap loss to South Korea final week was seen by some as an act of resistance and others as a present of mourning. The group hasn’t clarified. They later sang and saluted throughout the anthem earlier than their remaining two matches.
“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese instructed reporters Tuesday. “They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”
Albanese mentioned Australian officers had made presents of assist “clear” to the athletes.
“They then had to consider that and do it in a way that did not present any danger to them or to their families and friends back home in Iran,” he added.
Asylum got here throughout Trump’s urging
Australia’s announcement got here after Trump on Monday in Washington known as on Australia to grant asylum to any group member who wished it. Earlier that day, Trump had lambasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the … team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.” Trump added: “The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”
Lower than two hours later, in one other social media publish, Trump praised Albanese, saying, “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
The president’s provide of asylum represented one thing of a change for Trump, whose administration has sought to restrict the variety of immigrants within the U.S. who can obtain asylum for political functions.
Albanese mentioned Trump had known as him for “a very positive conversation,” concerning the matter. The Australian chief had defined “the action that we’d undertaken over the previous 48 hours,” to assist the ladies.
He applauded Australian information shops for his or her restraint in not publicizing developments within the story earlier.
