Five members of the Iranian women's national football team have been granted temporary humanitarian visas in Australia, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, confirmed on Tuesday. The visas, which provide a pathway to permanent residency, were issued at around 1.30am, coinciding with social media posts by US president Donald Trump that first criticised, then praised, Australia's handling of the situation.
The players were in Australia for the women's Asian Cup tournament. Their appearance raised fears they could face punishment if they returned to Iran, after the team faced criticism for not singing the national anthem before a match last week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government had been working on the situation 'for some time' and offered assistance to other team members, stating 'help is here'.
Burke said the players were taken to a secure location by the Australian Federal Police and cleared by security agency ASIO. 'They are safe here, and they should feel at home here,' he told a press conference in Brisbane. He added that the same opportunity remains open to other members of the team.
The five players identified by Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah of Iran, are Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi. Pahlavi claimed the players had 'joined Iran's national Lion and Sun Revolution'. Government sources downplayed reports that the players had 'escaped', suggesting the process began with discussions with officials.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Australia was making a 'terrible humanitarian mistake' by allowing the team to be forced back to Iran, but later praised Albanese after speaking with him, writing 'Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way'. Albanese described the conversation as 'fairly lengthy', covering the Iranian team and wider world events.
