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Australian constabulary helped 2 much members of the Iranian women's shot delegation gaffe their minders to assertion asylum, but 1 has changed her caput and decided to spell backmost to Iran, the country's interior curate said connected Wednesday (March 11, 2026). Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced successful parliament the squad member's determination to instrumentality home, after 5 players from the squad were granted asylum a time earlier.
A subordinate and a enactment unit subordinate accepted the government's unfastened connection of assistance connected Tuesday evening (March 10).
"One of the 2 who had made the determination to enactment past nighttime had spoken to immoderate of the teammates who had left, and had changed her mind," Burke told parliament.
"In Australia, radical are capable to change their mind, radical are capable to travel. And so, we respect the discourse in which she has made that decision."
It was not instantly wide who had decided to instrumentality to Iran.
Mr. Burke said the remainder of the players person been moved to a harmless determination aft the subordinate contacted the Iranian embassy, giving distant their location. Concerns astir the players' information grew aft Iranian authorities tv labelled the squad "wartime traitors" for refusing to sing the nationalist anthem during the women's Asian Cup lucifer successful Australia earlier this month.
The 2 further members of the delegation — 21-year-old striker Mohaddeseh Zolfi and enactment staffer Zahra Soltan Moshkehkar — were removed from the remainder of the squad with the assistance of Australian Federal Police earlier they boarded a home formation to Sydney.
Iran women’s shot squad players granted visas successful Australia amid information fears
Before leaving the country, Australian officials separated the remaining squad from their Iranian minders astatine Sydney airdrome and informed them of their options earlier they flew retired of Australia. All those that made it to the airdrome elected to instrumentality to Iran.
"What we made definite of was that determination was nary rushing, determination was nary pressure. Everything was astir ensuring the dignity for those individuals to marque a choice," Mr. Burke said during a media briefing successful Canberra.
Fear for families
Mr. Burke said immoderate players had asked him astir the anticipation of aiding their household members permission Iran.
"Obviously, erstwhile radical are imperishable residents, determination are rights that they person successful presumption of sponsoring different household members. But each of it lone becomes applicable if radical tin get retired of Iran successful the archetypal place," helium said. Some discussed their options with household but declined the connection to stay successful Australia. The squad has since reached Kuala Lumpur connected their mode to Iran. The Iranian team's run successful the tourney started conscionable arsenic the U.S. and Israel launched aerial strikes connected Iran, sidesplitting the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tourney connected Sunday.
A radical of Iranians surviving successful Australia gathered to protest against the Iranian authorities and surrounded the players' autobus successful Gold Coast erstwhile they near the edifice for the airport.
Many besides turned up astatine the Sydney airdrome connected Tuesday evening portion they were being transferred to the planetary terminal, tv footage showed.
The bureau of Iran's wide authoritative said connected Tuesday the remaining members of the squad were invited backmost to the state "with bid and confidence," Iranian media reported.
