Women's Asian Cup 2026: Iranian player fights back tears as she speaks about situation in Iran

Sara Didar, 21, is in Australia to play at the Women's Asian Cup — just the second time Iran has qualified for the tournament.

The young player has been thrust into an increasingly glaring spotlight on the team as it moves through the tournament, amid the war in the Middle East.

Didar and coach Marziyeh Jafari fronted the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's game against Australia at Gold Coast Stadium.

Jafari deflected news of the assassination of the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before the first match.

This time, the questions were framed sensitively, to try and hear something from them, considering the tightrope they must walk in not speaking out against the regime.

There has been an internet blackout in Iran since the developments over the weekend, making it difficult for anyone to contact their families back home.

It was a question on this that brought the emotion from Didar, speaking through an interpreter.

"We're all concerned and we are sad what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran and our beloved ones," she said.

"But I really hope very good for our country and to have very good news ahead. I hope that my country would be strongly alive."

As the interpreter spoke, Didar's eyes welled with tears.

She fought mightily to hold them in, and when the press conference was once again swiftly closed, as it was on Sunday, she quickly exited the room.

Iran players feel local support

While the players have largely been unable to speak publicly, there have been small acts that have provided windows into their feelings.

They did not sing the national anthem ahead of their game against South Korea, seen as an act of resistance against the Islamic Republic.

And there were times during the game where some players took longer than usual to replace their hijabs when they came loose. The country's mandatory hijab laws require girls to cover their hair and entire bodies from age nine.

A small but vocal group of fans was inside the stadium, waving the Lion and Sun flag, which was used until the 1979 Islamic revolution.

It is believed they smuggled these flags in, as the Women's Asian Cup code of conduct says any materials, including flags, that are of a political nature are not allowed.

Melika Jahanian is an Iranian-Australian who attended the game and said there were mixed emotions.

"We know that we are supporting the women that are Iranian, and on the other hand we are there to say that the Iranian regime does not represent us and it has never and it will never represent the Iranian people," she told ABC Brisbane.

"The energy was really high because we were chanting what we wanted from the government.

"We were chanting what we wanted out of this revolution. So everyone felt very united.

"We were chanting to the girls, 'take your scarves off, stand with us, stand on the right side of history.'"

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Another fan, Leigh, spoke to ABC News ahead of the game, saying she wanted to show support for the players.

"It's not easy to be an Iranian female athlete, I don't think the West will ever understand the dynamics that they have to deal with," she said.

"They're not really a known team, they don't have a lot of support domestically or internationally. As a feminist, I'm here to support them, and I hope Australia rallies around them as well.

"There's so much pressure on them. You all want to talk to them about politics, if they talk politics, that will get them prison time in Iran."

Another fan told us the players are 'heroes.'

"They are champions for us, for all Iranians. This is my responsibility as Iranian to support every single girl. They are our heroes and we are proud of them."

Didar says it means a lot to the players to know they have local support.

"It's really encouraged us. It really give us very good feeling, and we appreciate them," she said.

"I know that Australia really support the international team, and it's very valuable for me. And tomorrow, I hope that we will have a very good atmosphere inside the stadium, inside a full stadium."

Women's Asian Cup 2026 chief operating officer Sarah Walsh said extra security measures have been put in place for the players.

"We have definitely looked at up-scaling our support for the team during this period, we remain very close with the Queensland police to make sure that team is safe," she said.

Mixed feelings for some Iranian-Australians

Kamran Keshavarz, president of the Iranian Football Association Australia, told ABC Sport he sympathised with the players.

"It's a bittersweet environment and there is a clash of ideas at the moment," he said.

"For example, even the football community, some people believe that they're representatives of Islamic regime and we shouldn't be supporting them.

"But I personally believe that we have to keep it separate. There is a big difference between these girls and women that fought tooth and nail to be one of the 12 countries represented in this AFC Women's Cup, and the government."

Mr Keshavarz says the government did not provide the players with much support in the lead up to the tournament.

"This is a representation of what Iranian women can and have the potential to deliver, and we have to support it from that angle," he said.

"They do not sing the national anthem, and they do not comply as much as they can. We have to consider that they have to go back to their families and they're under threat."

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