Trump urges Australia to grant asylum to Iranian women’s soccer team

(TNND) — President Donald Trump offered for the United States to take in the Iranian national women’s soccer team if Australia forces them to go back to Iran and does not offer asylum as the war escalates.

“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 on Truth Social, asking the prime minister to give asylum.

“The U.S. will take them if you won’t,” Trump added.

Iranian state media referred to the athletes as “wartime traitors” for not singing the national anthem during a tournament in Australia last week.

“For you to go there and not sing the national anthem; this is the pinnacle of dishonour and lack of patriotism. Both the people and the officials should treat these individuals as wartime traitors, not as if they just had a protest or performed a symbolic act,” Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, a security presenter on state television, said.

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania, the continental division of the world players’ union, announced on Friday that they had written to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and world governing body FIFA requesting “the safety and wellbeing of Iran’s Women’s National Team players.”

“In addition to the dangerous situation the players would face if they return to Iran following the tournament, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania is deeply concerned by reports that Iranian state television has publicly attacked the members of the team for remaining silent during the national anthem before their opening match,” the statement read.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the deposed Iranian shah, praised the women’s actions and said they had engaged in a “brave act of civil disobedience” and warned of “dire consequences” if they returned home.

“I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support,” Pahlavi wrote on X.

The team left Iran for the tournament a few days before the U.S.-Israeli strikes began on Feb. 28.