KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Iranian women’s soccer team is scheduled to depart from Malaysia on Monday evening, bringing an end to several days of uncertainty. This follows the decision of most of the seven squad members who initially sought asylum in Australia to return and rejoin their teammates in Kuala Lumpur.
Windsor John, the general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, informed The Associated Press that the Iranian embassy arranged the team’s departure on Monday night. He noted that while they are expected to fly to Oman, this is not their final destination, and he was unclear on their complete travel itinerary.
When asked about the confederation’s confidence in ensuring the women’s safety upon returning to Iran, Windsor stated that both the AFC and FIFA will maintain regular communication with the Iranian football federation regarding the team’s welfare, emphasizing that they “are our girls as well.”
The squad arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Sydney on March 10 after their elimination from the Women’s Asian Cup. Initially, six players and a staff member remained behind after seeking protection visas.
Recently, four players and the staff member have rejoined the team in Kuala Lumpur, with the final member arriving on Monday. No explanations have been provided for this change of heart, but members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia suggest it may be due to pressure from the Iranian government.
Windsor also mentioned at a news conference that his confederation had not received any formal complaints from the players regarding their return home, despite reports suggesting their families in Iran might face reprisals for their actions during the opening match, where the team did not sing the national anthem.
The players’ silence during the anthem has been interpreted as either an act of defiance or a moment of mourning, but the team has not clarified their intent, singing the anthem at a subsequent match.
“We couldn’t confirm anything. We asked them and they said, ‘No, it’s okay,'” he stated. “They seem to be in high spirits and didn’t appear fearful.”
Two Players Remain in Australia
Iranian authorities have hailed the women’s decisions to forgo asylum as a victory against Australia and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the onset of conflict in the Middle East on February 28, complicating their travel situation.
Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the women’s situation in Australia as “very complex.” He stated, “These are deeply personal decisions, and the government respects the choices of those who have opted to return. We continue to offer support to the two who have chosen to stay.”
The two players still in Australia have been relocated to an undisclosed safe location, where they are receiving assistance from both the government and the Iranian diaspora community, according to Thistlethwaite.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a political scientist at Sydney’s Macquarie University who previously spent over two years in Iranian prisons on espionage charges, noted that the “propaganda war” has overshadowed the women’s well-being in this situation.
“The high stakes forced the Iranian regime to pay attention and respond, in my opinion,” she said. “Had these women sought asylum quietly without the surrounding publicity, it’s likely that the Iranian officials would have permitted it, as they have in the past with other athletes who defected.”
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency described the return of the players who abandoned their asylum bids as a “warm embrace of family and homeland,” framing their return as a setback for what it termed an American-Australian political campaign.
Concerns about the safety of the team in Iran intensified following their decision not to sing the national anthem, leading to calls for assistance from the Australian government from Iranian groups and even Trump.
Although the Australian government expelled the Iranian ambassador last year, the embassy in Canberra remains operational.
In August, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese severed diplomatic relations with Iran, citing concluded intelligence that the Revolutionary Guard had directed arson attacks on a Sydney kosher food establishment and Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue in 2024.
Kambiz Razmara, vice president of the Australian-Iranian Society of Victoria, stated that the women who sought asylum were under significant pressure from the Iranian regime. “They’ve had to make spur-of-the-moment decisions with limited information and respond to challenging circumstances,” he said. “While I’m surprised by their decision to return, I understand the pressures they’re under.”