The final two remaining Iran players seeking asylum in Australia have been training with Brisbane Roar as their teammates finally headed home following the Women\u2019s Asian Cup.<\/p>\n
Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 33, and Fatemeh Pasandideh, 21, were both pictured with huge smiles as they trained with the A-League club without a hijab and neck to ankle uniform.<\/p>\n
The club posted a series of pictures from training as they welcomed the duo with open arms.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWelcome, Fatemeh and Atefeh,\u201d Roar CEO Kaz Patafta said.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, Brisbane Roar officially welcomed both Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh to the club\u2019s training facilities to take part in training with our A-League Women squad and remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages.\u201d<\/p>\n Pasandideh also posted on Instagram, saying: \u201cEverything will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Brisbane Roar were widely praised for the move with their social media post going viral.<\/p>\n The images emerged a day after Iran captain Zahra Ghanbari became the fifth member of the team to withdraw asylum claims and leave Australia.<\/p>\n Her decision was seized on by the Iranian state news agency IRNA, which has hailed the return of all but two players from Australia as a coup for the under-siege regime.<\/p>\n But there are reports the players\u2019 families were being targeted.<\/p>\n A staff member granted asylum was passing on threats from the Iranian regime to players, Iranian Society of Queensland vice-president Hadi Karimi claimed.<\/p>\n He said one of the players had communicated her family had been kidnapped.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re living in Australia, why should we allow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), these terrorists, to bring their law to our country,\u201d the human rights activist said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girls were locked in the hotel, all Australians should know about this.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia has designated the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism.<\/p>\n Former Iranian soccer player Shiva Amini said she had received information from Australia the Iranian Football Federation, alongside the IRGC had placed \u201cintense and systematic pressure\u201d on families of the group.<\/p>\n This included targeting the family of Ms Ghanbari, whose father died recently.<\/p>\n \u201cThis shows the level of cruelty and desperation they are willing to use to force these athletes to comply,\u201d Ms Amini wrote on social media platform X.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough the team\u2019s manager, who presented herself to the players as someone they could trust and rely on, they were able to persuade some of the players to return.<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral of the players decided to go back because the threats against their families became unbearable and the intimidation was relentless.\u201d<\/p>\n The soccer player turned human rights activist said the team urgently needed support and protection.<\/p>\n Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke previously announced three members of the group had decided to leave despite the government doing everything it could to ensure the women were protected.<\/p>\n Seven members of the Iranian soccer group, including six players and one support staff member, were initially granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia.<\/p>\n Cabinet minister Catherine King said the government understood the very difficult decisions faced by the players.<\/p>\n \u201cThey would have been facing enormous pressure from what was happening overseas, in their home country as well,\u201d she told ABC Radio on Monday.<\/p>\n Conflict in the Middle East continues to widen with intensified attacks on Iran by the US and Israel and retaliatory strikes targeting multiple Gulf countries.<\/p>\n – With AAP<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coach\u2019s deleted message makes clear who is to blame<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n