Several members of Iran’s national women’s football team have refused to board a flight home, fearing possible execution after receiving death threats.

The 13-member squad reportedly faced intimidation after refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem during their opening match at the Asian Cup in Australia. The protest came two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

Five players, including the team captain, reportedly escaped from their handlers on Monday night and sought asylum. On Tuesday, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, confirmed the women had been granted humanitarian visas and relocated to a safe house.

Two additional players sought refuge shortly before their scheduled flight from Sydney to Iran via Kuala Lumpur, sources told The Telegraph.

Golnoosh Khosravi, a 24-year-old winger, reportedly refused to board the aircraft at the departure gate, where activists had gathered to protest the team’s return to Iran. One demonstrator held up a sign written in Farsi that read: “Golnoosh, your mum said to stay.”

Another player, Mohadeseh Zolfi, also requested and received asylum before the flight, according to Iran International, an independent news outlet.

As the remaining players boarded the plane, some were seen crying. One was reportedly seen dragging a teammate toward the transport vehicle that ferried them to the aircraft.

The team, nicknamed Iran’s “Lionesses,” had earlier been branded “wartime traitors” by Iranian state media after they refused to sing the national anthem on March 1. Their silence—widely interpreted as an act of protest following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—made global headlines and turned the players, willingly or not, into symbols of resistance against the regime.

Following the incident, relatives of several players in Iran were allegedly threatened, with some reportedly detained.

Skylar Thompson, deputy director of Human Rights Activists (HRA), a US-based Iranian human rights organisation, warned that players who return to Iran could face serious consequences.

“The returning players risk interrogation, travel bans, suspension from sport, or other forms of retaliation by the regime,” Thompson said.

However, some reports suggest the punishment could be far more severe. A source told IranWire that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was considering arresting the players and putting them on trial on charges such as “cooperation with a hostile state” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Even those who remain abroad may face repercussions through their families.

“Iranian authorities have historically used pressure on the family members of activists, dissidents and critics as a means of coercion and deterrence,” Thompson added.

Players granted asylum on Monday reportedly include captain Zahra Ghanbarim, Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi.

Their decision to flee was reportedly influenced by a message smuggled out of Iran via Turkey from a player’s family urging the women “to stay,” according to The Australian.

Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump initially criticised Australia’s government, describing the decision to allow the players to return to Iran as a “terrible humanitarian mistake.”

“Don’t do it, Mr Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The US will take them if you won’t,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Minutes later, he retracted the statement after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese informed him that the country was already offering the players refuge.

“He’s on it,” Trump wrote. “Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”

At the airport, dozens of Iranian-Australians attempted to pass messages to the players, who were surrounded by officials and Iranian security personnel.

Australian media reported that throughout the tournament, the players were closely monitored by officials believed to be linked to the IRGC. They were reportedly denied access to mobile phones and had their movements tightly restricted.

After the team’s Asian Cup elimination on Sunday, crowds surrounded the team bus, banging on it and chanting: “Let them go” and “Save our girls.”

One player was also seen signalling “SOS” in sign language through the bus window.

Activists have since urged Australian police to arrest the team’s handlers and called on airline staff to block their departure. (Guardian)