{"id":531084,"date":"2026-03-10T13:14:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/531084\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:14:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:14:11","slug":"australia-grants-visas-to-iranian-womens-football-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/531084\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia grants visas to Iranian women\u2019s football players"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five members of Iran\u2019s women\u2019s national football team after they sought asylum, saying they feared persecution if they returned home.<\/p>\n

The decision was announced Tuesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the situation involving the Iranian players currently in Australia.<\/p>\n

The remaining members of the squad are staying at a hotel on the Gold Coast. Albanese said assistance is available to any of them who wish to seek protection, though the decision ultimately rests with each player.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,\u201d Albanese said at a news conference in Canberra. \u201cThey are safe here, and they should feel at home here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s women\u2019s national team had traveled to Australia to compete in the AFC Women\u2019s Asian Cup.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s semi-official Fars news agency said five players secretly left the team hotel with Australian police, and media reports said they were seeking assistance from the Australian government after \u201cbreaking free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump calls the Australian PM<\/p>\n

After initially posting on social media that Australia was \u201cmaking a terrible humanitarian mistake\u201d by allowing the team to be sent back home, Trump said in a later post that he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was \u201cdoing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said five members of the Iran squad \u201chave already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don\u2019t return,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In his earlier post, Trump said members of the team would \u201clikely be killed\u201d if forced to return to Iran. \u201cThe U.S. will take them if you won\u2019t,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Albanese said Trump called him just before 2:00 a.m. (3:00 p.m. GMT Monday).<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to convey to him the action that we had undertaken over the previous 48 hours, and that five of the team had asked for assistance, had received it and were safely located,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n

The Iranian team\u2019s campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament began just as the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The team was eliminated from the tournament on Sunday after losing 2-0 to the Philippines.<\/p>\n

FIFPro voices concerns<\/p>\n

Football\u2019s global players\u2019 union, FIFPRO, said Monday there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iran team after they were labeled \u201cwartime traitors\u201d for refusing to sing their national anthem before a game.<\/p>\n


\n \"Protesters
\n <\/a>
\n Protesters demonstrate outside of Royal Pines resort as a bus carrying players from the Iranian women’s football team and staff departs, after five Iranian women football players were granted humanitarian visas, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, March 10, 2026. (Reuters Photo) <\/p>\n

The players\u2019 decision to stand in silence during Iran\u2019s anthem before their first match against South Korea was described by a commentator on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting as the \u201cpinnacle of dishonour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iranian media quoted Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women\u2019s affairs at the Iranian Football Federation, as saying the team had left the hotel through the back door with police.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have contacted the embassy, the football federation, the foreign ministry and anywhere possible to see what will happen,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have even spoken with the families of these five players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke posted pictures on his X account showing him posing with the five players in an undisclosed location and another photo showing him signing documents.<\/p>\n

His office identified the players as Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh.<\/p>\n

Burke said the government had been in secret talks with the players for days but acknowledged fleeing was a difficult decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though the offer continues to be there for other members of the team, it is quite possible and indeed likely that not every woman on the team will decide to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Iranian media said other team members were still in Australia and quoted Shojaei as saying the squad had planned to return to Iran via Dubai, but the United Arab Emirates had not allowed them to do so.<\/p>\n

It said efforts are now expected to be made for the team to return via Malaysia and Turkey.<\/p>\n

The Iranian team sang their national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders.<\/p>\n

Australia granted emergency humanitarian visas to more than 20 members of the Afghanistan women\u2019s cricket team after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and banned women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

\n The Daily Sabah Newsletter\n <\/p>\n

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