10.03.2026 02:11
Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, announced that five players from the Iranian national women's football team, who are in the country for the Asian Cup qualifiers and were declared "traitors" by Iranian state television for not singing the national anthem before their match against South Korea, have been granted asylum.
Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke made a statement regarding the players of the Iranian national women's football team who are in the country for the Asian Cup qualifiers.
5 PLAYERS GRANTED ASYLUM
Burke reported that 5 players escaped from their team hotel in the Gold Coast region of Australia and sought refuge, submitting their asylum requests to the Australian government. "They were taken to a safe place by the Australian police. I approved their humanitarian visa applications last night. We welcome their stay in Australia. They are safe here and should feel at home," he stated.
THEY WERE DECLARED TRAITORS
The players of the Iranian national women's football team were declared "traitors" by Iranian state television for not singing the national anthem before their match against South Korea on March 2. Three days later, the team sang the national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia. The team was later eliminated from the tournament after losing 2-0 to the Philippines. There was international pressure on the Australian government to prevent the team from being sent back to Iran, where they were believed to face mistreatment. Australia's Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite stated in response to a question about whether the players would be granted asylum that the government could not comment on individual cases "for privacy reasons."
TRUMP CALLED ON AUSTRALIA
U.S. President Donald Trump also called on Australia to grant asylum to the Iranian national women's football team. Trump stated that he had discussed this matter with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying, "He is also concerned about this issue. The situation of the five has been resolved, and the rest are on their way. However, some believe they need to return due to concerns for their families' safety. In any case, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job regarding this very sensitive situation."