Five Iranian women's soccer players granted humanitarian visas in Australia

Australia on Tuesday granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women soccer players after they sought asylum, fearing persecution on their return home for their refusal to sing the national anthem at an Asia Cup match.

"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference in Canberra on Tuesday, a day after police had helped extract the women from their Iranian government handlers.

"They’re safe here, and they should feel at home here."

U.S. President Donald Trump praised Albanese for allowing the women to stay, saying on social media the U.S. was ready to take the players if Australia did not.

Australian officials identified the players as Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh. They were staying at an undisclosed location under police protection, officials said.

Some of the Iranian players left their hotel in the northeastern city of Gold Coast on Tuesday afternoon on a bus that was surrounded by members of the diaspora protesting against the Iranian government. They flew to Sydney airport on Tuesday evening before being transferred to the international terminal.

It was not clear how many players arrived at the airport, or where they were going.

The office of Iran's general prosecutor said on Tuesday the remaining members of the team were invited back to the country "with peace and confidence," Iranian media reported.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke posted pictures on his X account showing him posing with the five players after granting their visas.

He said the government had been in secret talks with the players for days but acknowledged fleeing was a difficult decision for them.

"Even though the offer continues to be there for other members of the team, it is quite possible and indeed likely that not every woman in the team will make a decision to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer to them," he said.

ALBANESE DOING A GOOD JOB, TRUMP SAYS

Trump initially posted on social media that Australia was "making a terrible humanitarian mistake" by allowing the team to be sent back home, apparently unaware that Australia had been in secret talks with the women for several days.

Trump said members of the team would "likely be killed" if forced to return to Iran. "The U.S. will take them if you won’t," he added.

In a later post Trump said he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was "doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation"