Australia Grants Five Iranian Footballers Humanitarian Visas After Anthem Protest

Five members of Iran's women's national football team secured Australian humanitarian visas early Tuesday after fears for their safety mounted following their refusal to sing the Iranian national anthem at a Women's Asian Cup match on the Gold Coast.

The five players, named by Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke as Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi, were moved to a safe location by Australian federal police after leaving their team hotel. Burke said he met the women at that location and signed off on their visa applications, which were finalized at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time Tuesday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later confirmed the grants publicly.

"They want to be clear they are not political activists. They are athletes who want to be safe," Burke said. "Australia has taken the Iranian women's soccer team into our hearts."

The catalyst was a moment of silence. When the team's opening match against South Korea began on March 2, the players stood wordless as Iran's national anthem played. The protest drew immediate and fierce backlash from Iranian state media, with one conservative commentator on state television calling the squad "wartime traitors" and demanding harsh punishment. The team subsequently sang the anthem before two subsequent matches, but later indicated the decision had come under pressure from the Iranian government.

The scenes surrounding the players' departure from their five-star hotel were dramatic. BBC journalists witnessed several players leave the lobby in a group after speaking with activists, while team minders rushed through the hotel corridors trying to locate them. Outside the stadium on Sunday evening, hundreds of Australian supporters surrounded the team's coach as it departed, chanting "save our girls."

The five were among a 26-member squad that had traveled to Australia before the conflict in the region escalated. Burke confirmed talks with the players had been ongoing for several days before Monday's decisive request. The humanitarian visa program grants permanent protection to refugees and people in humanitarian need, and allows holders to live, work, and study in Australia.

The communications office of Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Iranian Shah, confirmed on X that the five players had left the team's training camp and "successfully sought refuge in Australia," naming each player.

The players' decision resonated beyond sporting circles. Reports from aggregated sources indicated Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging Australia to grant asylum and stating the United States would accept the players if Australia declined, though that claim has not been independently verified from a primary source.

The remaining 21 squad members were reportedly offered the opportunity to stay as well, though none had come forward as of Tuesday morning.

The players have expressed concern for family and friends remaining in Iran, a shadow hanging over what Burke framed as an act of personal courage rather than political defiance. The Australian government has not publicly addressed what steps, if any, it will take to assist the players' relatives still in the country.

Iran's football federation and foreign ministry had not issued an official statement in response to the visa grants as of Tuesday.