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The Israeli Foreign Ministry has congratulated members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team after they appeared to take a political stance by remaining silent during their country’s national anthem at the Women’s Asian Cup. The show of support comes as five players have been granted asylum in Australia, while uncertainty surrounds the remaining 21 members of the squad.
In a post on X, Israel praised the women for their “courage,” adding that “the world is watching.”
The Iranian team listens to the national anthems before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup match against South Korea in Gold Coast on March 2, 2026. (Izhar Khan/AFP)
“Sometimes courage is silence,” reads the message on X. “To women of Iranian nationality [soccer] team, who refused to sing the regime’s anthem, we salute your courage! Be careful. The world is watching.”
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The post included a photo with a similar message that read: “To the courageous Iranian women of the national team, the world sees your courage.”
The situation involving the Iranian women’s football team began after the team arrived in Australia for the tournament last month. The team was already there when the United States launched a joint military operation with Israel against Iran.
During the team’s opening match against South Korea, the team remained silent during the national anthem while Iranian head coach Marziyeh Jafari, also silent, smiled at his team. This silence was interpreted by some as an act of resistance. But in the next match against Australia and the subsequent match that led to their elimination, the team sang and saluted during the national anthem.
Iranian players react during their national anthem before the Women’s Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
Concern for the team after the tournament prompted the Australian-Iranian Council to launch an online petition urging Australian authorities to “ensure that no member of the Iranian women’s national football team leaves Australia while credible fears for their safety remain”.
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President Donald Trump also spoke, saying the United States would “accept” them if Australia did not grant them asylum.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced on Tuesday that five women had been transported from their Gold Coast hotel “to a safe location” by federal police officers where they then met him and began the process of obtaining their humanitarian visas.
“I tell other team members that the same opportunity exists,” he said. “Australia has taken the Iranian women’s football team into our hearts.”
Players of the Islamic Republic of Iran line up for the national anthems before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Australia Matildas at the Gold Coast Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia on March 5, 2026. (Albert Pérez/Getty Images)
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The women granted asylum were happy to have their names and photos published, Burke said, but added that the players wanted to make clear they were “not political activists.”
Protesters tried to block the team bus from leaving Tuesday in front of the hotel where they were staying. The remaining team members and their coaches went to Sydney Airport, where police cleared protesters from the international terminal before the team boarded an international flight to Kuala Lumpur, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.
