Australia Backs Iran Women's Soccer Players Seeking Asylum: 'we Stand In Solidarity'

Five players defected from nan Iran women’s shot squad Monday aft nan team’s last lucifer successful nan Asian Women’s Cup successful Australia and person applied for asylum pinch nan Australian Federal Police, according to reports.

Police assisted nan women successful leaving their edifice and placed them successful a safe house.
According to sports journalist Raha Pourbakhsh, astatine slightest 7 players near nan squad edifice pinch 5 applying for asylum pinch nan Australian Federal Police.

According to an X post by Reza Pahlavi, boy of nan deposed Shah of Iran, nan players who “successfully sought refuge successful Australia” are Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi.

Pahlavi warned successful a abstracted post that nan women would look “dire consequences” if they return to Iran.

Pourbakhsh, a journalist for Iran International TV, told CNN that families of 3 of nan 5 players had been threatened and said astatine slightest 2 different players who near nan squad edifice haven’t been located.

The squad remained silent during nan Iranian nationalist anthem earlier their first Asian Cup lucifer a week ago, which was interpreted arsenic a protestation against nan regime. They saluted and softly mouthed words to nan anthem earlier a lucifer against Australia aft pushback from nan Iranian authorities and accusations of treason.

Australia appears consenting to assistance nan women, who apparently fearfulness persecution astatine home. Following nan United States-Israeli strikes connected Iran and retaliation successful nan Middle East, Iranian authorities tv branded nan shot squad “wartime traitors” and alluded to repercussions upon their return to nan country.

Iran is now nether nan norm of Mojtaba Khamenei, a new hardline ultimate leader. Khamenei is nan boy of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, nan 86-year-old leader who was killed connected nan first time of U.S. and Israeli attacks.

President Trump, successful a statement Monday connected Truth Social, said nan United States would assistance nan Iranian players asylum if Australia did not. Trump posted a 2nd time, saying he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and that 5 players had “already been taken attraction of” and that “the remainder are connected their way.”

Protesters converged adjacent nan autobus transporting nan squad aft its last lucifer Sunday night, shouting “save our girls” and carrying nan Iranian Lion emblem utilized earlier nan 1979 Islamic Revolution. Today, nan emblem is simply a awesome of guidance against nan existent regime.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC that her state sides pinch nan men and women of Iran.

“For Australians to spot [Iranian players] successful Australia and nan Matildas swapping jerseys pinch them was, I think, a very evocative moment,” Wong said. “We cognize this authorities has brutally oppressed galore Iranian women and we guidelines successful solidarity pinch nan men and women of Iran, peculiarly Iranian women and girls.”