TEHRAN - The recent decision by five Iranian female footballers to return to their homeland, instead of pursuing residency or refugee status in Australia represents a significant setback for Iran’s adversaries, most notably the United States under the Trump administration.

The enemy’s plot revolved around a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions fueled by the U.S.-Israeli imposed war on Iran since Feb. 28, in a bid to sow discord within Iranian society through encouraging the footballers to avoid returning home. 

On March 9, U.S. president Donald Trump openly advocated for the Iranian players to seek refuge in Australia, claiming they could face serious danger if they return to Iran after remaining silent during the national anthem at the Asian Cup. 

The players would “most likely be killed” if they had to return to Iran, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump also said he spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and that Australia was helping some players, though others may return due to concerns for their families.

Iranian officials say that Trump’s words wasn’t merely a humanitarian gesture but a deliberate attempt at geopolitical maneuvering, aimed at exploiting internal vulnerabilities and weakening Iran’s standing both domestically and internationally.  

In Addition to Trump’s administration, Australian authorities also provided a platform for these activities by escalating the pressure on the players through amplifying concerns regarding the footballers’ safety and prospects of U.S.-Israeli attacks.

Meanwhile, there has been reports than convey obvious political interference, including direct pressure from individuals intending to exploit the team’s dilemma for political gain, aiming to force players into seeking asylum.  

The story started when five members of the national team, under various pressures, decided to file for asylum, making the ground fertile for the opponents of the Islamic Revolution capitalize on this event with extensive propaganda, calling it a great victory. These pressures continued by anti-Revolution groups and individuals when the rest of national team was departing. It was the time that two other players to also make the decision to stay.

Ultimately, five of those footballers regretted their decision and declared their readiness to return to their homeland. Initially, Zahra Zolfi made her decision and embarked on the path to Malaysia to rejoin other members of the Iranian national team. On Saturday, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali, and Zahra Meshinkar also withdrew from their decision and joined the team members in Malaysia.

On Monday, Zahra Ghanbari, the team’s captain, withdrew from her decision and chose homeland to stay. 

Citing remarks by sports experts, Mehr news agency on Sunday challenged FIFA’s long-held stance of separating sport from politics proved demonstrably flawed, as revealed by its inability to deter the concerted external influence, and its complicity in activities that undermine human rights principles. FIFA’s actions effectively positioned itself as an accomplice of those seeking to disrupt Iranian society rather than upholding its proclaimed principle of neutrality, the semi-official news agency underlined. 

“FIFA’s role exemplifies this deficiency. While publicly championing the separation of sport and politics, it demonstrably failed to safeguard Iran’s footballers from external pressures and instead collaborated with opposition elements eager to exploit the situation for propaganda purposes.”

Experts talking to the news agency underlined that the Australian authorities, also, fell short of their obligations under the existing FIFA rules, which mandate neutrality and non-discrimination. “Instead of providing a safe and secure environment for the Iranian players, Australia became a somehow tool for external adversaries.”

Over the past couple of days, there has been circulating views on Iranian social media that their move is a symbolic embodiment of the honor and greatness of the Iranian women’s national football team, which stood on the right side of the history.

AM