Iranian Women’s Team Members Receive Australian Humanitarian Visas Following Anthem Controversy

Iranian Women’s Team Members Receive Australian Humanitarian Visas Following Anthem Controversy

By Niyi Busari 

Five members of Iran’s women’s national football team competing at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia have been granted humanitarian visas by the Australian government, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The decision follows concerns from supporters and rights advocates who feared the players could face repercussions in Iran after they reportedly declined to sing the national anthem before their opening match last Monday.

Albanese said Australian authorities had been working on the matter for several days and confirmed that the five players had been relocated to a secure location. The government has also extended the same offer of assistance to other members of the team who may wish to seek protection.

“We’re willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, noting that this is a very delicate situation,” Albanese told reporters at a news conference. “It is up to them, but we say to them: if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that.”

The prime minister also revealed that he had held an early morning phone conversation with United States President Donald Trump regarding the situation. Albanese described the call, which took place around 2 a.m. Australian time, as a “very positive discussion,” during which he briefed the US leader on the actions taken by Australian authorities.

Sports journalist Raha Pourbakhsh earlier reported that at least seven players had left the team hotel in Australia. According to her account, five of them subsequently applied for asylum through the Australian Federal Police.

Pourbakhsh, who works for Iran International TV, also said that families of three of the players now under police protection had reportedly received threats. The whereabouts of at least two other players who left the hotel remain unknown.

She further reported that Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, was denied a visa to travel to Australia to retrieve the team, prompting the federation’s vice president, Farideh Shojaei, to make the trip instead.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump warned that it would be a “terrible humanitarian mistake” for Australia to allow the players to return to Iran, adding that the United States would offer them asylum if Australia declined to do so. The statement drew attention given that Trump’s administration imposed travel restrictions on Iranian nationals last year.

Trump later said he had spoken directly with Albanese, adding that five of the players had “already been taken care of” and that “the rest are on their way.”

Iranian authorities, however, dismissed the situation. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref described the reports as “psychological warfare” and accused Trump of interfering in what he called Iran’s internal affairs.

Responding to what he characterized as a media campaign, Aref said the Iranian government would guarantee the players’ safety if they returned home.

“Iran welcomes its children with open arms,” he said, according to state media.