Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar is supposed to send messages to the players to encourage them to return to Iran. This is reported by “Iran International”, citing internal sources. The women were told to abandon their request and return home.

Seven Iranian footballers have applied for asylum in Australia

At least seven women from the Iranian national football team have now applied for asylum in the country. They were previously in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Meanwhile, the equipment manager, known as “Flor”, and the player Mohaddeseh Zolfi also follow five other delegation members. Australia has allowed them humanitarian visas.

State media speaks of “treason in wartime”

State media described the incident as a “wartime betrayal.” Officials warned of serious consequences for failure to appear. The Iranian judiciary issued a statement saying the athletes should return home “for the sake of their families” – a move that was widely understood as indirect pressure on relatives.

Players who traveled further were arrested and their cell phones were confiscated

The association official Mohammad Rahman Salari is supposed to play a central role and repeatedly collect and search the players’ phones. Team manager Fatemeh Bodaghi is accused of monitoring the players’ social media activities and submitting reports to authorities in Tehran. Physiotherapist Zeinab Hosseinzadeh is also named as part of the pressure structure.

Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women’s affairs at the association, also accompanies the delegation. She said they were examining possible return routes – including a land connection via Turkey after flights via the United Arab Emirates failed.

Human rights organizations have strongly condemned the situation. They warn that the players could face serious penalties if they are forced to return. The pressure on the athletes began before the tournament and continued throughout the competition.