Australia grants asylum to 5 Iranian women’s soccer players amid Iran conflict

Australia granted asylum to 5 players from the Iranian women’s shot squad who were visiting for a tourney erstwhile the U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran began.

Australian national constabulary officers connected Tuesday transported the 5 women from their edifice successful Gold Coast, Australia, to a "safe location" aft they made asylum requests to conscionable with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and to finalize the processing of their humanitarian visas.

"Last nighttime I was capable to archer 5 women from the Iranian Women’s Soccer squad that they are invited to enactment successful Australia, to beryllium harmless and person a location here," Burke said connected X.

The determination comes aft the squad refused to sing the Iranian anthem earlier their archetypal Women’s Asian Cup lucifer aboriginal past week against South Korea, though they aboriginal sang and saluted the anthem successful 2 consequent matches, including up of their last match, erstwhile they were eliminated by the Philippines.

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Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke poses with 5 Iranian women shot players who person been granted asylum successful Australia, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Australia Ministry of Home Affairs)

"I don't privation to statesman to ideate however hard that determination is for each of the idiosyncratic women, but surely past nighttime it was joy, it was relief," Burke told reporters aft signing the documents. "People were precise excited astir embarking connected a beingness successful Australia."

The 5 women said they were blessed for their names and pictures to beryllium published, according to Burke, who emphasized that the players wanted to marque wide that they were not governmental activists.

The Iranian squad arrived successful Australia for the tourney earlier the warfare against Iran began connected Feb. 28.

After the squad was eliminated from the tourney implicit the weekend, they faced perchance returning to a state inactive nether bombardment. The team's caput coach, Marziyeh Jafari, said connected Sunday the players "want to travel backmost to Iran arsenic soon arsenic we can."

An authoritative squad database named 26 players, arsenic good arsenic Jafari and different coaches.

While lone 5 players were granted asylum, Burke said the connection was fixed to everyone connected the team.

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Iran players during their nationalist anthem up of the Women's Asian Cup shot lucifer betwixt Iran and the Philippines successful Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAPImage via AP)

"These women are tremendously fashionable successful Australia, but we recognize they are successful a terribly hard concern with the decisions that they’re making," Burke said. "The accidental volition proceed to beryllium determination for them to speech to Australian officials if they privation to."

It remains unclear erstwhile the remaining players volition permission Australia.

"Australians person been moved by the plight of these brave women," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. "They're harmless present and they should consciousness astatine location here."

"They past had to see that and bash it successful a mode that did not contiguous immoderate information to them oregon to their families and friends backmost location successful Iran," helium continued.

The asylum connection came aft U.S. President Donald Trump connected Monday called connected Australia to assistance asylum to immoderate squad subordinate who wanted it.

Trump had blasted Australia connected societal media, saying Australia was "making a unspeakable humanitarian mistake" by allowing the squad to beryllium "forced backmost to Iran, wherever they volition astir apt beryllium killed."

Supporters respond towards a autobus transporting Iranian pistillate players pursuing their Women's Asian Cup shot lucifer against the Philippines connected the Gold Coast, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)

"The U.S. volition instrumentality them if you won’t," Trump said, contempt his administration's efforts to bounds the fig of immigrants successful the U.S. who tin person asylum for governmental purposes.

Just hours later, Trump praised Albanese successful different post.

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"He’s connected it! Five person already been taken attraction of, and the remainder are connected their way," Trump wrote.

Albanese said Trump had called him for "a precise affirmative conversation," astir the issue. The premier curate said helium explained "the enactment that we'd undertaken implicit the erstwhile 48 hours" to enactment the women.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.