The Australian government on Monday granted asylum to five women from the Iranian soccer team, after they were eliminated in the Asian Cup last week.

In an official press release on Tuesday, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke confirmed that five of the players were granted emergency humanitarian visas and relocated by the Australian Federal Police to a safe confidential location. The players—Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi—stated that they “are not political activists but rather athletes that want to be safe.” Another two players were granted asylum Tuesday, but one changed her mind after speaking with her teammates and was encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy. 

The players travelled to Australia before the start of the Iran war. They stayed silent during Iran’s national anthem at their opening game on March 2, which was depicted by Iran’s local media as an insult to the regime and led to them being labelled “wartime traitors.” Other reports, however, interpreted it as a sign of mourning. In their two subsequent games, the players sang the anthem but also sought humanitarian asylum, citing fear of persecution following their loss to South Korea. Iranian-Australian supporters blocked the team’s bus as it left for the Brisbane airport, fearing for the team’s safety should they return home.

FIFPRO-Asia, the union for soccer players, urged FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ensure the players’ safety in light of the war and Iranian state television’s public attacks. President Donald Trump posted his support on TruthSocial, offering asylum in the US if needed. He subsequently stated that some players “felt 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.” Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian foreign minister, responded on X, accusing the Australian government of holding the soccer players hostage. He confirmed that Iran would welcome the players home with “open arms.”