In a dramatic international intervention, former US President Donald Trump urged Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to allow members of the Iranian women’s national soccer team to seek asylum following their recent escape from a Gold Coast hotel.
The plea came after the squad’s Asian Cup campaign ended on Sunday night, when several players made what appeared to be an “SOS” hand signal on their team bus.
The situation escalated when five players-Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi, evaded authorities to avoid returning to Iran, where they face potential persecution.
They are now under federal police protection at a secure location in Australia and have been granted humanitarian visas by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
Iranian state media had previously criticized the team for refusing to sing their national anthem before their first Asian Cup match against South Korea, labeling the athletes as “wartime traitors” deserving severe punishment.
The international response has been swift, with Trump publicly urging Albanese to intervene.
“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,” he wrote on social media. “Don’t do it, Mr Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The US will take them if you won’t. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Government steps in to ensure player safety
Shortly after his posts, Trump confirmed he had spoken with Albanese and praised the Australian leader for handling the “delicate situation.”
He added that five players had already been safely relocated, though others remained hesitant due to concerns for their families’ safety in Iran.
“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,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Burke spent the following days coordinating the visas and ensuring that any players wishing to remain in Australia could do so.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “There has been a lot of work that’s been going on in recent days to make sure that we had the maximum number of opportunities for these women to know that they could seek assistance if they wanted to.”
He confirmed the five players’ applications had been processed and approved shortly after 1:30 a.m. local time.
The daring escape and humanitarian response have drawn significant attention both in Australia and internationally. Crowds celebrated outside the team’s hotel on Monday night despite heavy rain, reflecting the public’s support for the athletes.
Burke emphasized that the option to seek asylum remains available to other team members still in the hotel.
“Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts,” he said. “These women are tremendously popular in Australia, but we realise they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making.”
As the story unfolds, the players’ courageous actions have highlighted broader issues of human rights in Iran and the international community’s role in protecting athletes at risk.
The combination of Trump‘s intervention and Albanese‘s administration response marks a historic moment in sports diplomacy and humanitarian aid.
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