US President Donald Trump said the Australian Prime Minister “took care” of five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team after his call with Anthony Albanese. Trump praised the Albanian’s offer of “asylum” to the soccer team and said the prime minister was doing a very good job.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “I just spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, regarding the Iranian women’s national soccer team. Five of them have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way. However, some feel they must return as they are concerned for the safety of their families, including threats to family members if they do not return. In any case, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job regarding this rather delicate situation.”
God bless Australia! President Donald J. Trump.”
Earlier, the Australian channel SBS News reported earlier that five players were “liberated” after the team’s exit from the Asian Cup and are now under federal police protection, and are seeking help from the government, Reuters reported.The remark came after the Iranian women’s football team showed off the “SoS” sign.
The controversy began when the players refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before their match against the South Korean women’s soccer team last week, which sparked sharp criticism from the authorities and commentators in Iran.
One commentator reportedly described the players as “wartime traitors” and called for harsh punishments. Although the team later sang the national anthem during two consecutive matches, Iranian state television described their earlier refusal as “the height of shame.” The team was expected to return to Iran after exiting the tournament, but fans expressed concerns about their safety if they returned. Meanwhile, crowds gathered to urge the Australian government to protect the players, chanting “Save our girls” while waving the historic Iranian imperial flag bearing the lion and sun symbol.
