President Donald Trump said the US would take in the Iranian women’s soccer team if Australia did not provide the players with asylum, amid fears over their safety if they return home.
Australia has been facing pressure to protect the team after Tehran singled out some of the players over their failure to sing the national anthem during a Women’s Asian Cup match on the Gold Coast.
Islamic Republic of Iran players sing the national anthem during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match against Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia on March 8.
Photographer: Albert Perez/Getty Images
“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed,” Trump wrote in a ...