The team spent several hours at the Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday night with Iranian embassy staff.<\/p>\n
![\"Iran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f6515a29602698b7f6b6a0b7765d6f24.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Members of Iran’s women’s football wait to board a flight to Oman at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. (AP Photo\/Azneal Ishak)<\/p>\n
AFC general secretary Windsor John said earlier he was not aware of the team’s travel plans after Oman as it had been arranged by the Iranian embassy.<\/p>\n
“We have spoken to the team officials. We have spoken to the coaches, the head of delegation,” he said.<\/p>\n
“They are actually in high spirits.<\/p>\n
“They are not demotivated or they didn’t look afraid.”<\/p>\n
Mr John said he would regularly check up on the players when they were back in Iran.<\/p>\n
Concerns over the safety of the team first emerged after the players failed to sing the national anthem at a women’s Asian Cup match.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/daceba18632cc50f77dca7f7b55e58e6.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The Iranian women’s football team pose for a photo before their match against the Philippines at the Women’s Asian Cup. (Getty Images: Albert Perez)<\/p>\n
Seven team members, including a player handler, were granted humanitarian visas by the Australian government fearing persecution if they returned to Iran.<\/p>\n
But five have since withdrawn their claims and opted to return home.<\/p>\n
Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said the country “[took] pride” in the footballers “who did not fall for the hypocritical temptation of Australian officials”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“What happened in Australia was a very clear example of hypocrisy and deceit,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“On the one hand, you massacre Iranian girls in Minab, and at the same time you become excited about taking photos with Iranian women footballers.”<\/p>\n
Loading<\/p>\n
Local Iranian diaspora members campaigning for the women to stay claim that the staff member granted asylum was passing on threats from the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n
Government sources have previously said they looked into those claims and had no reason to believe them.<\/p>\n
Expert analysis on the Middle East:<\/p>\n
Two players remain in Australia and have been moved to an undisclosed safe location.<\/p>\n
They are receiving support from the government and the Iranian diaspora community in Australia.<\/p>\n
Reuters\/ABC<\/p>\n
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