Players appear to signal for help as activists seek protection in Australia
Updated March 9, 2026 — 9:58am,first published 9:05amYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.Save this article for laterAdd articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.Members of the Iranian women’s soccer team have given what appears to be an SOS hand signal from their team bus as advocates plead for the Australian government to do everything possible to allow them to stay in Australia.The Iranian team, known as the Lionesses, played their final match of the Women’s Asian Cup on the Gold Coast on Sunday night, losing 2-0 to the Philippines.Footage taken after the match shows at least one woman on the bus appearing to make the international help sign to a crowd of protesters outside.LoadingThe gesture is performed by holding one hand up, tucking the thumb into the palm, and folding the fingers down over it.AdvertisementA source in the Iranian-Australian community said activists were going to Australian Federal Police to seek urgent protection for the women.Iranian state television presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi last week accused the team of dishonour for not singing the national anthem before their first match against South Korea on Monday, branding them “wartime traitors” who must be “dealt with more severely”.Shahbazi’s comments have heightened fears the women could be subject to persecution if they return home, although trying to stay in Australia could also pose risks for their loved ones in Iran.Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who some members of the diaspora would like to see return to lead the country, said in a message to his 2.1 million followers on X on Monday morning: “The members of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic. As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran.Advertisement“I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support.”More than 46,000 people have signed a petition since Friday calling for the government to ensure that no member of the team departs Australia while credible fears for their safety remain.Iranian-Australian community leaders wrote to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Sunday, urging him to ensure the women were fully informed about their legal protections in Australia.AdvertisementThe community leaders told Burke there were “serious concerns that Islamic Republic officials accompanying the team are closely monitoring the players and are intimidating them, including providing them with misinformation they would be sent to offshore detention to a ‘deserted island’ if they attempted to seek asylum in Australia”.“Given these circumstances, we respectfully urge the Australian authorities to speak with the players individually and privately, in a private setting away from Islamic Republic officials or security personnel, to ensure they are aware of their rights and the protection pathways available,” Moez Mousavi of the Australian Iranian Council, human rights activist Minoo Ghamari and lawyer Sara Rafiee wrote.A spokesman for Burke declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the issues involved.More to come.Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.You have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.More:Middle East at warWomen’s Asian CupIranTony BurkeIranMatthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
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