(That had to be a horrific decision to make for these five women who are aware that their families will now be made an example of by the barbaric Iranian regime. They have a record of dealing very cruelly with the families of people who do not do the will of the regime.)
Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the Iran war began, a government minister said Tuesday.
The announcement followed days of urging by Iranian groups in Australia and by US President Donald Trump for the Australian government to help the women, who had not spoken publicly about a wish to claim asylum.
The team drew speculation and news coverage in Australia when players didn’t sing the Iranian anthem before their first match.
Early Tuesday, police officers transported five of the women from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia, “to a safe location” after they made asylum requests. There, they met with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and the processing of their humanitarian visas was finalized, the minister told reporters in Brisbane.
https://x.com/Tony_Burke/status/2031104424765174251
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” said Burke, who posted photos to social media of the women smiling and clapping as he signed documents. “People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.”
The women granted asylum were happy for their names and pictures to be published, he said. Burke added that the players wanted to make clear that they were “not political activists.”
Iranian state TV said the country’s football federation asked international soccer bodies to review what it called Trump’s “direct political interference in football,” warning such remarks could disrupt the 2026 World Cup, which begins in North America in June.
Naghmeh Danai said she was invited as a migration agent and member of the Iranian-Australian community to visit the women at a hotel Monday night and to reassure them about what was available to them in Australia.
Burke didn’t detail what threats the players faced if they returned to Iran. During the tournament, the women have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families and all Iranians.
The Iranian team has drawn national news coverage in Australia after the players’ silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last week was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. They later sang and saluted during the anthem before their remaining two matches.
“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters Tuesday. “They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”
Albanese said Australian officials had made offers of support “clear” to the athletes.
Australia’s announcement came after Trump on Monday in Washington called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it. Earlier that day, Trump had lambasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the … team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.” Trump added: “The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”
Less than two hours later, in another social media post, Trump praised Albanese, saying, “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
Iran’s football federation said Trump’s comments were “baseless and unlawful” and urged global football authorities to intervene.
Iranian first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref separately said: “Iran welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security.”
“No one has the right to interfere in the family affairs of the Iranian nation and play the role of a nanny who is kinder than a mother,” he added.
https://nypost.com/2026/03/10/world-news/australia-grants-asylum-to-5-members-of-the-iranian-womens-soccer-team/
