DIPLOMACY
Trump calls on Australia to give asylum to Iranian women’s soccer players
- Summary
- Iranian media says five players secretly left the hotel
- Australian media said players were seeking government help after ‘breaking free’
- Trump says Albanese is doing very good job in ‘delicate situation’
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Iranian women’s soccer team after reports that five players had sought asylum in Australia.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said five players in Australia for the Asian Cup secretly left the team hotel with Australian police, and media reports said they were seeking Australian government assistance after “breaking free”.
People attempt to block a bus transporting Iranian players following the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match between Iran and the Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 8, 2026. AAP/via REUTERS
After initially posting on social media that Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be sent back home, Trump said in a later post that he had spoken to Albanese and that the Australian leader was “doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation”.
Trump said five members of the Iran squad “have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.
“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,” he said.
Australia’s SBS News said five players from the Iranian women’s team were now under the protection of the Australian Federal Police, seeking assistance from the government. It said government sources had confirmed the reports, adding that Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had flown to Brisbane to meet with the women.
The Iranians’ campaign in the Australian-hosted Asian Cup tournament started just as the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated on Sunday after losing 2-0 to the Philippines.
In his earlier post, Trump said members of the team would “likely be killed” if forced to return to Iran. “The U.S. will take them if you won’t, ” he added.
Australia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
FIFPRO VOICES CONCERNS
Soccer’s global players’ union FIFPRO said on Monday there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iranian team after being labelled for refusing to sing their national anthem before a game.
The players’ decision to stand in silence during Iran’s anthem before their first match against South Korea was labelled by a commentator on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting as the “pinnacle of dishonour”.
Iranian media quoted Farideh Shojaei, vice president for women’s affairs at the Iranian Football Federation, as saying the team had left the hotel through the back door with the police.
“We have contacted the embassy, the football federation, the foreign ministry and anywhere possible to see what will happen,” she said. “We have even spoken with the families of these five players.”
Iranian media named the players as Zahra Sarbali, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramazani-Zadeh.
It said other team members were still in Australia and quoted Shojaei as saying the squad had planned to return to Iran via Dubai, but the United Arab Emirates had not allowed them to do so.
It said efforts were now expected to be made for the team to return via Malaysia and Turkey.
The Iranian team sang their national anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders.
When asked whether Australia would grant the players asylum, Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for foreign affairs and trade, said the government could not go into individual circumstances for privacy reasons.
-Reuters
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Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, has reaffirmed that the security and stability of Gulf Arab states are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
Speaking during an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States held on Sunday to discuss Iran’s attacks on Arab states, Bourita stressed that Morocco views any threat to Gulf countries as a direct threat to itself.
“What harms you harms us, and what affects us affects you,” Bourita said, reiterating Morocco’s long-standing commitment to the security of Gulf nations.
The meeting, attended remotely by the Moroccan minister, was convened to address what participants described as Iran’s aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab countries.
Bourita noted that Morocco’s position reflects the policy consistently articulated by King Mohammed VI, who has repeatedly emphasised solidarity with Gulf partners. He revealed that the Moroccan monarch recently held telephone conversations with leaders of Gulf states to express Morocco’s support for their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The minister also recalled the king’s remarks during the Moroccan-Gulf Summit on April 20, 2016, where Mohammed VI declared that defending shared security among Arab nations is “not only a common duty but an indivisible one.”
During the emergency session, Bourita strongly condemned what he described as “brutal Iranian attacks” on Arab countries, calling them a blatant violation of their sovereignty and a serious threat to regional stability. Morocco, he said, stands in full solidarity with the affected states and supports any legitimate measures they deem necessary to safeguard their citizens and territories.
He further accused the Iranian regime of pursuing destabilizing policies across the region, alleging that Tehran seeks to create and support militias and groups loyal to it in order to undermine the stability and interests of neighboring countries.
Bourita urged Arab nations to strengthen unity and collective action through the League of Arab States as the most effective means of protecting regional security and safeguarding national sovereignty.
Concluding his remarks, the Moroccan foreign minister called for a unified Arab stance against actions that threaten regional stability and demanded the immediate cessation of Iranian attacks, saying such a move would open the door for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
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Mohammed VI has reaffirmed Morocco’s “full support and solidarity” with several Arab Gulf states following what he described as “blatant attacks” on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement issued Saturday by the Royal Cabinet, the Moroccan monarch disclosed that he held separate telephone conversations with key Gulf leaders, including Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia; and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
According to the Royal Cabinet, King Mohammed VI strongly condemned the attacks targeting the sovereignty of the “brotherly states” and reiterated Morocco’s readiness to stand by them in any legitimate measures they consider necessary to safeguard their security and ensure the safety of their citizens.
The statement underscored the “deep fraternal ties and enduring solidarity” binding Morocco to the Gulf nations, stressing that the security and stability of the Arab Gulf region are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
“Any infringement upon their integrity constitutes a serious and unacceptable aggression and a direct threat to regional stability,” the statement read.
Morocco has long maintained close political, economic and security ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with cooperation spanning investment, energy, defence and diplomatic coordination on regional issues.
Saturday’s high-level consultations signal Rabat’s intention to reinforce those alliances at a time of heightened regional tensions, while affirming its position that threats to Gulf states are viewed as threats to broader Arab and regional stability.
The Royal Cabinet did not provide further details on the nature of the attacks referenced in the conversations, but the statement reflects Morocco’s consistent diplomatic posture of collective Arab solidarity in times of crisis.
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On High Royal Instructions from Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government has rolled out a major aid and support programme valued at approximately $328 million (MAD 3 billion) to assist communities affected by exceptionally severe weather conditions over the past two months.
The extreme weather, which particularly impacted the Gharb plain and Loukkos regions, caused widespread flooding and large-scale displacement across several provinces.
According to a press release from the Office of the Head of Government, His Majesty, mindful of safeguarding citizens’ safety and improving their living conditions, directed authorities to implement an urgent and comprehensive response plan, alongside the necessary regulatory measures required in such circumstances.
In line with these instructions, the Head of Government issued a decree declaring the weather conditions a catastrophic event. The most affected communes in the provinces of Larache, Kénitra, Sidi Kacem and Sidi Slimane have officially been designated disaster areas.
The aid and support programme, equivalent to roughly $328 million, was designed following an in-depth field assessment and a detailed evaluation of the economic and social repercussions of the disaster.
The breakdown of the package includes:
- $85 million (MAD 775 million) for rehousing affected families, compensating for loss of income, rehabilitating damaged homes and small businesses, and reconstructing collapsed houses.
- $25 million (MAD 225 million) in in-kind assistance and reinforced emergency interventions to meet immediate and essential needs.
- $33 million (MAD 300 million) in targeted support for farmers and livestock breeders.
- $186 million (MAD 1.7 billion) allocated for the rehabilitation of roads, hydro-agricultural infrastructure and basic public service networks.
The statement further emphasised that the King has instructed the government to ensure the programme is executed in an exemplary, swift and responsible manner, enabling affected citizens to return to normal living conditions as quickly as possible.
Official figures indicate that the severe weather caused flooding across more than 110,000 hectares of land and displaced nearly 188,000 people in the four affected provinces.
The large-scale intervention underscores Morocco’s commitment to rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction following one of the most significant weather-related disruptions in recent years.
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