Iran\u2019s participation in the Asian Cup in Australia comes during the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military strikes on the nation<\/a>, which killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks.<\/p>\n FIFPRO Asia\/Oceania, the continental division of the world players\u2019 union, said on Friday it has written to tournament organisers the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and world governing body FIFA to request they \u201curgently engage\u201d with the Iranian Football Federation and the government of Australia to \u201censure every effort is made to protect the safety of the players\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition to the dangerous situation the players would face if they return to Iran following the tournament, FIFPRO Asia\/Oceania is deeply concerned by reports that Iranian state television has publicly attacked the members of the team for remaining silent during the national anthem before their opening match,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s team remained silent during the playing of its national anthem before the side\u2019s Asian Cup opener against South Korea earlier this week. The players did sing the anthem while saluting ahead of their game against Australia three days later.<\/p>\n The Athletic has verified the broadcast and contacted the AFC, FIFA, the Iranian Football Federation and the government of Australia for comment.<\/p>\n \n Iran\u2019s player sang the anthem and saluted before facing Australia (Izhar Khan \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n \u201cLet me just say one thing: traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely,\u201d Shahbazi said, referencing the non-singing before the opening game. \u201cAnyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely.<\/p>\n \u201cLike this matter of our women\u2019s football team not singing the national anthem, and that photo that was published and so on, which I won\u2019t get into. These people must be dealt with more severely.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no longer just a symbolic protest move or the like. In a war situation, in this state of affairs, where they strike and martyr students and seven-to-eight-year-old girls in schools, where they attack the neonatal ward of a hospital, where they hit stadiums.<\/p>\n \u201cFor you to go there and not sing the national anthem; this is the pinnacle of dishonour and lack of patriotism. Both the people and the officials should treat these individuals as wartime traitors, not as if they just had a protest or performed a symbolic act.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stigma of dishonour and betrayal must remain on their foreheads, and separately they must be dealt with properly.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s national anthem is tied to the 1979 Islamic revolution, which brought in a theocracy \u2014 a country ruled by religious leaders \u2014 which was headed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.<\/p>\n In the 2022 men\u2019s World Cup, Iran\u2019s players refused to sing the national anthem<\/a> ahead of their opening game against England, but did so in the following games against Wales and the United States. That tournament was played with the backdrop of widespread protests<\/a> against Iran\u2019s conservative clerical leadership.<\/p>\n![\"Iran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2264273023-scaled.jpg\")
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