Members of Iran’s women’s football team have returned home after a group within the squad had earlier sought asylum in Australia during the Women’s Asian Cup.Seven members of the delegation had applied for asylum in Australia last week after being labelled “traitors” in Iran for not singing the national anthem before their opening match. However, five of them later withdrew their applications, including captain Zahra Ghanbari. In the end, only Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh chose to remain in Australia.The team had travelled from Oman to Istanbul on Tuesday evening, then flew to the eastern Turkish city of Igdir before making their way overland to Iran. The squad had earlier left Australia, where they were competing in the Asian Cup, and reached Turkey via Oman and Kuala Lumpur.“I am missing my family,” one of the players was quoted as saying by news agency AFP at Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday.In a post on X, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the players and staff were “children of the homeland, and the people of Iran embrace them”.He added that by returning, they had “disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements”.Rights groups have alleged that Iranian authorities put pressure on athletes abroad by threatening their families, including possible seizure of property, if they defect or speak against the country. Iranian authorities, in response, have accused Australia of influencing the players to stay.
