Australia: Iranian Soccer Players Don't Have to Go Home

Five members of Iran's women's national soccer team have been granted temporary humanitarian visas, giving them a path to permanent residency, Australia's home affairs minister Tony Burke said Tuesday. He said the players are now in a secure location under Australian Federal Police protection after seeking help while in Queensland for the Women's Asian Cup. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said authorities had prepared for the possibility the women might ask for protection and stressed that "help is here" for any teammates who choose to follow, the Guardian reports.

• The team's appearance at the tournament had already sparked concern they could face retaliation at home after some players declined to sing Iran's national anthem at their first game, drawing accusations of "treachery" in Iranian media. Sources tell CNN that they were forced to sing the anthem at later games.
• Over recent days, tensions escalated around their Gold Coast hotel, where anti-regime protesters gathered as the squad prepared to fly back to Iran. Government sources pushed back on reports of a dramatic "escape," saying the process began when players initiated discussions with Australian officials. Security agency ASIO has cleared the women, Burke said, adding: "They are welcome to stay in Australia. They are safe here, and they should feel at home here."

• President Trump injected himself into the saga overnight, first blasting Australia in a Truth Social post for allegedly forcing the team back to Iran and warning the women could be killed, then promising the US would take them if Canberra would not. Burke said visas for the five were approved around 1:30am local time—roughly the same time as Trump's initial post—and that he had been working with team members since at least Sunday.
• By 2:55am, Trump had reversed tone, saying in another post that he'd spoken with Albanese, praising the Australian leader's handling of the case and signing off with "God bless Australia." Albanese confirmed a "fairly lengthy" call that focused largely on the team and broader Iran issues. "I was able to convey to him the action that we'd undertaken over the previous 48 hours, and that five of the team had asked for assistance and had received it and were safely located."
• CNN reports that Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the situation was "psychological warfare" and said Trump was meddling in the "family affairs of the Iranian nation."