Iranian soccer players rescued after daring escape

By Zac de Silva

Five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team are being protected by police after staging a dramatic escape from their handlers at a Brisbane hotel.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the women had been granted humanitarian visas to avoid persecution in their home country for refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem at one of their Asian Cup games.

Mr Burke said conversations about protecting the team started in earnest during the very early hours of Monday morning.

“Once that happened … it was made clear that there were five women who wanted to be able to stay in Australia,” he told reporters in Brisbane early on Tuesday.

“They were moved to a safe location by the Australian Federal Police, and last night, I met with them at that location.

“I signed off last night for their applications to go onto humanitarian visas, and a little bit after 1:30am this morning, the processing was completed by the department of home affairs.

“I say to the other members of the team, the same opportunity is there,” Mr Burke said.

The rest of the squad are still with their Iranian handlers, he added.

Their plight prompted the intervention of US President Donald Trump, who had a late-night phone call with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, and later congratulated the prime minister for protecting the women.

“He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,” Mr Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return.”

Advocates had been imploring Australian officials to meet with the team to secure their safety after the squad were seen making what appeared to be an SOS hand signal on Sunday night after their final Asian Cup match.

Leaving their final match of the competition on Sunday night, at least one of the women appeared to make the international signal for help through the window of the team bus – raising an open palm, crossing the thumb over it and folding the four fingers over the top.

Protesters surrounded the bus and the women appeared to film the crowd through the window.