Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The saga of the Iranian women’s soccer team’s asylum requests in Australia continues to unfold, with another player choosing to return to Iran, according to a sports official Monday. This leaves just two of the original seven squad members who initially sought refuge in Australia still intending to remain.
The team was in Malaysia making flight connections to their homeland, according to Windsor Paul John, general manager of the Asian Football Confederation, who said the timing of their departure is still uncertain. “It could be today, tomorrow or next week,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
The initial wave of asylum requests sparked a diplomatic issue after six players and a staff member sought protection visas following their elimination from the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia on March 10. Since then, four players and the staff member have returned to Kuala Lumpur, with the latest arrival on Monday.
The reasons behind the shifting decisions remain unclear. While Iranian authorities have hailed the returns as a victory against Australia and the United States, some within the Iranian diaspora in Australia suspect pressure from Tehran is influencing the players.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a political scientist at Sydney’s Macquarie University who was herself imprisoned in Iran from 2018 to 2020, suggested the publicity surrounding the asylum requests may have heightened the pressure. “I do think in this case, had these women quietly sought asylum without that publicity around them, it’s possible that the Islamic Republic officials might have… simply allowed that to happen,” she said.
The Australian government has described the situation as “complex,” with Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite stating that the government respects the decisions of those returning while continuing to offer support to the two players who remain. Those who have stayed in Australia are being provided assistance in a secure location, along with support from the Iranian diaspora community.
Concerns were initially raised regarding the team’s safety in Iran, particularly after they chose not to sing the national anthem before their opening match. However, Paul John stated the confederation had received no direct complaints from players about potential repercussions for their families.
The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East, as Iran’s squad arrived in Australia shortly before the outbreak of conflict on February 28, complicating travel arrangements. Australia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in August 2024 following intelligence linking the Revolutionary Guard to arson attacks on Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne.
Kambiz Razmara, vice president of the Australian-Iranian Society of Victoria, acknowledged the pressure faced by the players. “They’ve had to make decisions at the spur of the moment with very little information and they’ve had to react to the circumstance,” he said.
