A sensational incident involving members of the Iranian women's national team occurred during the Asian Cup held in Australia. During the competition, a group of female footballers refused to sing the Iranian anthem. This situation was strongly condemned by Iranian officials, who called it the "pinnacle of shame." Fearing persecution and serious danger upon returning to their homeland, five athletes were forced to seek political asylum from the Australian government. Reports tengrinews.kz.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke announced that he had approved the humanitarian visa applications of these athletes. Currently, the female footballers are under the protection of the Australian police and have been placed in a safe location. US President Donald Trump also commented on the situation, emphasizing that the athletes should not be returned to their homeland. According to him, if Australia did not accept them, the US was ready to take them under its protection.
According to CNN Sports, at least seven athletes have left the Iranian national team. While five of them have been officially granted protection, the fate of the remaining two remains unknown. It is also reported that some footballers want to return to their homeland out of concern for the safety of their family members. The Iranian women's national team left the competition after losing to the Philippines in the final match of the group stage.
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