MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government announced on Monday that a fifth member of the Iranian women’s soccer team, who had been granted a refugee visa to remain in Australia, has left the country.
This departure late Sunday night leaves just two of the original seven players still in Australia, according to the office of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
The Iranian government has hailed the players’ decision as a triumph over Australia and U.S. President Donald Trump, while members of the Iranian community in Australia attribute the change to pressure from Tehran.
On Sunday, Burke reported that two players along with a support staff member had left Sydney for Malaysia the previous day.
The Iranian team traveled to Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, shortly before the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on February 28.
Initially, six players and a support staff member from a squad of 26 accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the remaining Iranian contingent departed from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on March 10.
One additional player later reversed her decision and departed Australia.
The rest of the team has been in Kuala Lumpur since leaving Australia.
Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the situation facing the women as “very complex.”
“We have been working closely with them, but this is a deeply personal matter,” Thistlethwaite told Sky News. “The government respects the choices made by those who returned and continues to offer support to the two remaining players.” He added that they are receiving comprehensive support from both the Australian government and the local diaspora community to help them settle in Australia.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that following the departure of three players on Saturday, they were “returning to the warm embrace of their families and homeland.”
Concerns grew about the players’ safety in Iran after they did not sing the national anthem before their first match.
Iranian groups in Australia and Trump have urged the Australian government to assist the women.
The Iranian news agency described the players’ return to Iran as a “disgraceful failure” of the American-Australian initiative and another setback for Trump.
Some members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia have accused the support staff member who previously accepted asylum and then left Australia of disseminating pro-Iranian propaganda to her teammates via text messages.
Thistlethwaite stated there is no evidence to support claims that this staff member influenced others to leave. He insisted that all players remaining in Australia are “genuine asylum seekers.”
He also mentioned that once the women decided to stay in Australia, they were taken to an undisclosed “safe destination.”
“They have been able to communicate with family and others. I understand that some contacted the Iranian embassy here in Australia. We cannot sever their communications,” Thistlethwaite explained.
The embassy in Canberra remains staffed, despite the Australian government expelling the ambassador last year.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese severed diplomatic ties with Iran in August, following intelligence findings that alleged the Revolutionary Guard orchestrated arson attacks on a Sydney kosher food company and Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue in 2024.
Kambiz Razmara, vice-president of the Australian-Iranian Society of Victoria, stated that the women who accepted asylum faced significant pressure from the Iranian regime.
“They had to make rapid decisions with limited information and adapt to their circumstances,” Razmara commented. “While I am surprised they chose to leave, I also understand the immense pressure they were under.”