Three members of the Iranian women's national team who had sought asylum in Australia have decided to return to Iran, Australia's government said on Sunday.
Australia granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers last week after they sought asylum, saying they feared persecution if they returned home after they failed to sing the national anthem at a Women's Asian Cup match.
Four of the seven members have decided to leave Australia so far. Another member changed her mind last week.
"After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options," Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
"While the Australian Government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions," he added.
The Iranian Football Association (FFIRI) named the players as Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar.
The rest of the Iranian squad left Australia last week and are reported to have flown to Malaysia where they await the next leg of their journey back to Tehran.
"After arriving in Malaysia and joining the rest of Iran's women's national football team, the three players will travel to Tehran in the coming days to once again be embraced by their families and homeland," FFIRI added in a statement.
The Iranian team's campaign in the Asian Cup started just as the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tournament last Sunday.
Concerns about the players’ safety first emerged after they refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before their opening match of the tournament against South Korea. The gesture drew fierce criticism on state television, where commentators labelled the players “wartime traitors” and described their silence as the “pinnacle of dishonour”.
The Iranian team later sang the anthem before their second match against host nation Australia, raising fears among campaigners that the players had been pressured by officials accompanying the squad.
