Iran women’s football team feted in Tehran after asylum battle at Asian Cup

Iran’s national football team returned to their war-torn nation after several of the players sought asylum in Australia.Iranian authorities on Thursday gave the national women’s football team a hero’s welcome after their return from Australia, where some had made and then withdrawn asylum claims, amid accusations Iran had pressured their families.Six players and one backroom staff member who travelled to Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup sought asylum earlier this month after they prompted criticism from hardliners in Iran for failing to sing the national anthem before their first match.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran footballer Azmoun kicked off national team for disloyalty, say reportslist 2 of 4Third time’s the charm? Australia face stern Japan test in Asian Cup finallist 3 of 4FIFA’s Gianni Infantino seemingly changes course on peace effortslist 4 of 4Iranian football players celebrated in Tehranend of listFive of them later changed their minds and returned home along with the rest of the team, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, with their fate prompting international concern amid the US-Israel war on Iran.Activists have accused Iranian authorities of pressuring the women’s families, including summoning their parents for interrogation, while Tehran has alleged that Australia sought to force the athletes to defect.Several thousand people, many holding Iranian flags, turned out for the welcome ceremony on Thursday evening in Valiasr Square in central Tehran, where other pro-government rallies have taken place in recent weeks, state TV images showed.“My Choice. My Homeland,” read a slogan on a giant billboard on the square that showed the players in their national kit and mandatory hijabs saluting the Iranian flag.Flanked by team members, Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said on stage, “What is certain is that these athletes are loyal to the homeland, flag, leader and revolution.”Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, one of the most high-profile women in Iranian politics, told the team members: “All Iranians were waiting for you; welcome to Iran.”Members of Iran’s women’s national football team in Tehran on March 19 [Alaa Al Marjani/Reuters]‘Threatening their families’As onlookers cheered the players, giant AI-generated images of the women were projected on a screen showing them pledging loyalty to the Iranian flag against a background of Iranian national landmarks.