The captain of the Iranian women's football team, Zahra Ghanbari, has left Australia after withdrawing her asylum claim, becoming the fifth member of the squad to change her mind. The decision was confirmed by the office of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Monday.
Ghanbari's departure follows that of three other players who returned to Iran over the weekend. Only two members of the cohort remain in Australia after initially being granted asylum last week while in the country for the Asian Cup.
Human rights activist Shiva Amini alleged that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps pressured the families of players who chose to stay. She claimed Ghanbari's family was explicitly targeted. However, Australian government sources said the allegation was investigated and could not be substantiated.
An Iranian-Australian diaspora member said reports from Iran suggested team staff relayed messages from the Iranian government to players, and that families were threatened. The source also believed US President Donald Trump's intervention was unhelpful, as it backed the Iranian regime into a corner.
Iranian state media celebrated the players' return as a patriotic victory, with Tasnim News Agency reporting that their decision dealt a 'crushing blow' to Trump, who had publicly pressured Australia to accept the players.
