Tony Burke, the Minister for Home Affairs of Australia, noted that the country's authorities took all possible measures to provide the athletes with the opportunity to stay and ensure their safety. However, he emphasized that it is impossible to change the circumstances that force them to make such difficult decisions.
The Iranian Football Federation confirmed that these three footballers will travel to Kuala Lumpur, where they will meet with the other team members before flying to Tehran. Earlier, Iranian state media referred to those players who refused to sing the anthem before the match as "wartime traitors."
The situation drew public attention after part of the team refused to perform the Iranian anthem before the Asian Cup match. As a result, five footballers received humanitarian visas, and then two more athletes from the delegation also requested asylum. One of them later changed her mind and decided to return home.
As reported by Reuters, the players were monitored by representatives of the Iranian authorities, and some of them faced pressure through threats against their families. Later, the Australian police evacuated some of the footballers to a safe place to protect them.
