Trump urges Australia to grant asylum to Iranian women footballers fearing persecution after Women’s Asian Cup silence incident.
Iranian women footballers seek refuge in Australia as Trump warns of serious consequences if returned home (Photo: X)
US President Donald Trump publicly called on the Australian government against repatriating Iranian women athletes who are playing football in Iran claiming that their safety would be under severe threat. The call was given when five Iranian national team members fled to Australia because they feared being persecuted after they took part in the Women’s Asian Cup.
The incident took place in Women Asian Cup in Gold Coast, Queensland, during which Iran team lost their last match against Philippines 0-2. Several players have stayed quiet during the Iranian national anthem before their initial game against South Korea, which made their government accuse them of being war criminals. The silence was considered to be a civil disobedience to the regime.
Presently, the five Iranian athletes, one of them being Zahra Ghanbari, the captain, are hiding in a safe place, under the watch of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The players were documented to have collapsed their team hotel, and evaded any interaction with the people and this was as a result of fear of being executed or imprisoned once they were sent back home.
The plight of the players is one that has attracted the interest of some great people and one of them is the son of the former Shah of Iran by the name Reza Pahlavi. He pleaded with the Australian government through social media platform X to shield the athletes stating that they would have to face serious consequences in case they are sent back to Iran. The message emphasized on how the players were brave enough to fight against the existing regime.
اعضای تیم ملی فوتبال زنان ایران پس از اقدام شجاعانهشان در خودداری از خواندن سرود رژیم، با فشارهای شدید و تهدیدهای مداوم از سوی جمهوری اسلامی روبهرو هستند و در صورت بازگشت به ایران ممکن است با پیامدهای بسیار جدی مواجه شوند.
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) March 8, 2026
من از دولت استرالیا میخواهم امنیت آنان را تضمین کند و… https://t.co/YZzVOX6CIO
Donald Trump joined the outcry to make them safe, posting to Truth Social that bringing back the players would be a horrible humanitarian error. He advised Australia to give asylum, and the U.S will be ready to protect Australia, in case it fails. The message of Trump stipulates on the health of the athletes internationally.
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. Thank you for your attention…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) March 9, 2026
The fans of the female footballers in the Iranian team have surrounded their sports bus in the tournament shouting their slogan save our girls in order to popularize their situation. The advocacy has also stepped up in social media and media platforms, showing the threats to human rights that the athletes are in danger of.
This accident highlights the conflict between sport, politics and human rights. The Australian government is currently under the international pressure in the form of scrutiny over how they handle asylum requests by athletes on threat. Diplomatic talks are still ongoing and it is indicated that something needs to be done urgently to avert a possible crisis.
