...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump said the United States would offer asylum to the Iranian women's soccer team if they were not given the same legal protection by Australia.
The players had faced the prospect of returning to war-torn Iran after being knocked out of the Asian Cup on Sunday. But concern had grown for their welfare after they were condemned as "wartime traitors" on Iranian state TV following their silence during the national anthem in their first group game with South Korea.
In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote: "Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman's Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don't do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won't."
Read More on World
Trump later confirmed on Truth Social that he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and that the five players had already been “taken care of” in Australia, with the rest expected to follow.
"Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return. In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation," Trump wrote.
It comes as the office of Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi said that five members of Iran's women's national football team—Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi—had left their training camp and had successfully sought refuge in Australia.
"These five courageous athletes, currently in a safe location, have announced they they have joined Iran's national Lion and Sun Revolution," the office said on X.
On March 3, members of the team declined to sing the national anthem before their Asian Cup match against South Korea in Australia. Three days later, the team sang the anthem before their defeat to Australia, raising concerns that they had been ordered to do so.
...
On Sunday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong refused to comment on whether the country had been in contact with the players.
"I don't want to get into commentary about the Iranian women’s team. Obviously this is a regime that we know has brutally cracked down on its people," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
International players’ union FIFPRO has expressed concern for the squad's safety, saying it has been unable to contact some players and is working with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Australian authorities. Iran was the only team from the Middle East to qualify for the Women’s Asian Cup.
On February 28, the day the war began, an airstrike in Minab, southern Iran, hit a girls’ elementary school, killing at least 175 people, mostly children, according to Iranian authorities. Meanwhile, at least seven U.S. service members have died in the war, according to U.S. Central Command.
On March 8, Iran appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 56-year-old was chosen on Sunday despite calls from Trump for American involvement in the decision.
In response to U.S. and Israeli military operations, Iran has conducted repeated missile and drone attacks targeting American forces, bases, and allied infrastructure across the Gulf, striking locations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Iraq. The Human Rights Watch has warned that Israel may have used white phosphorus in areas of Lebanon where civilians live.
Update 3/9/26, 11:56 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/9/26, 12:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines