5 Iranian women's soccer players receive asylum in Australia after Trump pressure

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Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team on Monday, following their perceived political stand during the Women’s Asian Cup and pressure from President Donald Trump.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke made the announcement. The women were transported from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia "to a safe location" by federal police officers in the country in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

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In this photo supplied by Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke's office, Minister Tony Burke, center, poses in an undisclosed location with five Iranian women soccer players who have been granted asylum in Australia, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Australia Ministry of Home Affairs via AP)

The players, then, met with Burke and began the processing for their humanitarian visas, he said.

"I say to the other members of the team the same opportunity is there," Burke said. "Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts."

The asylum bids came amid increased pressure from Trump on Monday and Iranian groups in Australia.

"Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t," he wrote on Truth Social.

"I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team," Trump added later. He’s on it! Five