Iranian women's football team players, including those who were granted asylum in Australia, return home

The Iranian women's football team, who was embroiled in asylum drama over the past two weeks and a half, has returned home barring two members of the entourage. Seven members of the Iranian squad had applied for a asylum in Australia during the Asian Cup but five of them, including skipper Zahra Ghanbari, turned back on the decision. The women's team made its way back to Iran through a long route via Malaysia, Oman and then to Istanbul and Turkey’s land Gurbulak-Bazargan border to enter the home country. The members, who were branded 'wartime traitors' by national media not so long ago, will now have a welcome ceremony on Thursday (Mar 19).

Iranian women's football team members go back on Australia asylum - A timeline

The whole drama started when some of the members didn't sing the national athem ahead of their first match in the tournament. The players who did not sing the national anthem were declared 'wartime traitors' by the Iranian national media. The players did sing the anthem in the next matches but the narrative had been set by then.

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After the incident, five of the Iranian players escaped the Gold Coast hotel to reach Australian embassy and apply for asylum, which they were granted after a little push from US President Donald Trump.

Two more of the squad members including one staff applied for the asylum later on and were granted the request as well.

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Iran accused Australia of coercing athletes into asylum while activists accused Iran of thretaning the families of athletes over asylum decision.

What next for the women's football team members?

After the athletes were given asylum, Iran changed tone and called the players 'children of homeland', promising a welcome ceremony in Tehran.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a post on X, said the players are "children of the homeland, and the people of Iran embrace them."

Ghalibaf also said that the players "disappointed the enemies [of Iran] and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements," by deciding to comeback to home.

Iran's football federation chief Mehadi Taj was present to welcome the women's team at the border and was quoted saying: "We have all gathered here to say well done and to express our appreciation. Although they are women, they showed manly courage and strength," as reported by the Guardian.

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