JAKARTA - One member of the Iranian Women's National Team who was granted asylum in Australia has changed his mind about seeking protection so that the other six players were moved to another location.
The player was granted a humanitarian visa on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, local time, along with a support worker, bringing the number of Iranians seeking refuge in Australia to seven.
However, he changed his mind on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, local time in the morning, and contacted the Iranian embassy.
"In Australia, people can change their minds, people can travel. We respect the context in which he made that decision," said Australian Home Affairs Minister in parliament, Tony Burke.
Burke further said that the other six women who remained in Australia had to be moved to a safer location because the players leaked their location when contacting the embassy.
"Unfortunately, in making that decision, he was advised by his teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and be picked up," he said.
Previously, Burke said Australian Government officials were not rushing or pressuring the women's footballers to make a decision on whether to accept a humanitarian visa after Iran was eliminated from the 2026 Women's Asian Cup (AFC Women's Asian Cup).
The departure of the rest of the team from Sydney, Australia, to return to Iran on Tuesday evening local time occurred amid tense and angry protests at the team hotel and at the airport.
Iranian-Australian residents tried to prevent the women's footballers from leaving the country, citing concerns for the team's safety on their return to Iran after they were branded wartime traitors by Iranian state media for refusing to sing the national anthem before their opening match at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.
Burke said that when the players passed through security checks at the Australian border, they were each individually separated by Australian officials and interpreters, without bodyguards, and offered asylum.
"They were given a choice. In that situation, what we ensure is that there is no rush, no pressure," he said.
Some of them contacted their families in Iran to discuss the offer, but no other members of the delegation decided to stay in Australia.
"It's all about ensuring dignity for those individuals to make choices. We can't take away the contextual pressures for these individuals, about what they may have been told before, what pressures they may feel on other family members," Burke said.
Those who have sought asylum receive a temporary humanitarian visa, which has a pathway to permanent residency in Australia.
The team members previously confirmed to stay in Australia are captain Zahra Ghanbari as well as players Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, and Mona Hamoudi.
The lawyer for Iranian refugees, Ara Rasuli, who was involved in the asylum process, said the Australian Government had opened every avenue for the footballers to stay and be protected.
Players who return to Iran may face execution and their families face retribution from the current regime.
"They are in great danger. There are all sorts of threats, such as holding their families, taking over their assets."
"That's why most of the girls choose to return home because the threat is a big problem in this case," said Rasuli.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup last month, before the Iran war began on February 28, 2026. The team was eliminated from the tournament at the weekend and faces the prospect of returning to the country that is being bombed.
It was not clear how many people were on the delegation, but the official squad list mentioned 26 players, plus coaches and other staff.
Meanwhile, Burke rejected the notion that Australian Government officials should have done more to stop the departure of the women's footballers.
"Australia's goal here is not to force people to make certain decisions. We are not that kind of country," Burke said.
Burke said he had seen widely circulated footage that appeared to show a woman being escorted by her team-mate from the team hotel on the Gold Coast, Queensland, to their bus. Whether it amounted to coercion was a matter for local Australian police, he said.
The Iranian team became a popular figure in Australia during the tournament. Brisbane Roar, the main football club in the city of Brisbane - the nearest major city to where the Iranian women's players were - posted on social media on Tuesday inviting the Iranian players still in Australia to train with their club.
The team's plight has attracted international attention, including from US President Donald Trump, who slammed the Australian Government on Monday, March 9, 2021, for not offering asylum to the women's footballers.
It emerged on Tuesday that discussions between Australian officials and some of the women's players had taken place privately.
Trump later praised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the two leaders discussed the issue over the phone.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television on Tuesday said the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) had asked FIFA to review what it called Trump's direct political interference in football and warned that the statement could disrupt the 2026 World Cup.
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