Zahra Ghanbari and five Iranian women footballers withdraw Australia asylum request after threats as team prepares return to Iran

Five members of Iran’s women’s football team who earlier tried to seek asylum in Australia have now changed their decision and plan to return to Iran. The situation has raised serious concerns after reports said the players and their families were put under pressure. The issue started during the Women’s Asia Cup held in Australia, when several Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem before a match. That quiet protest quickly drew global attention. Soon after, Australia gave humanitarian visas to seven Iranian football players and support staff, allowing them to stay in the country while they decided their next steps.The players said they feared punishment if they went back home. Iranian state television had already called them “wartime traitors.” Their situation became widely discussed across the world, and even United States President Donald Trump publicly expressed support for them.But the story has now taken a sudden turn. According to multiple reports, five of the seven individuals have withdrawn their asylum requests after facing threats and pressure. The latest player to reverse her decision is team captain Zahra Ghanbari, who reportedly decided on Monday that she would return. Iranian state media quickly reacted to the news. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said Zahra Ghanbari was “returning to the embrace of the homeland,” while Mehr News Agency described her move as a “patriotic decision.”

Zahra Ghanbari and Iranian teammates reportedly face threats as five players withdraw asylum requests in Australia

However, some people close to the situation strongly disagree with the claims made by Iranian media.Tina Kordrostami, a Sydney councillor who was born in Iran, said the players were being pressured behind the scenes. Speaking to Fox News, she said the women had received direct communication from officials connected to the Iranian government.“We even had an individual amongst the girls within Sydney and Brisbane who was influencing them constantly, in their ear, letting them know that whatever Australia is offering them it will not work,” Tina Kordrostami told Fox News.She also said the players were not making these decisions freely.“When you see these women turning back to Iran and not seeking our help in Australia, do not think this is their request. They are being coerced, they are being threatened, they are being intimidated, this is not a choice of their own,” she said.Australia’s federal minister Kristy McBain also spoke about the situation. She said the government had tried to give the players every chance to decide their future safely.“I think our government has been very open with the Australian people about the steps we’ve taken to ensure these women and support staff had every opportunity to make their own decisions,” Kristy McBain said.Meanwhile, Tasnim News Agency in Iran claimed the players had been influenced by “psychological warfare, extensive propaganda and seductive offers” while they were in Australia.Another report from the Dutch newspaper AD said some players were warned that their families in Iran could face serious consequences if they stayed abroad. The outlet reported that players were even told their relatives might be treated like “hostages.”Former Iranian futsal player Shiva Amini, who now lives outside Iran, also spoke about the issue on social media platform X. She said families of the players were being targeted by authorities in Iran to force them to return.Despite the controversy, Asian Football Confederation General Secretary Windsor John said he had not received official complaints from the players. He told reporters that when he met them, they did not appear scared or demotivated.For now, the players are expected to join the rest of the Iranian team in Malaysia before eventually traveling back to Iran.