Social media posts have claimed members of the Iranian women’s football team made ‘SOS signals’ as they returned home from Australia, after they were branded ‘traitors’ by their country for refusing to sing the national anthem.
Leaving their final match of the Asian Cup on Sunday night, at least one of the women reportedly made the international signal for help through the window of the team bus – raising an open palm, crossing the thumb over it and folding the four fingers over the top.
Videos online show supporters, many carrying Lion and Sun flags, shouting, ‘save our girls’ and ‘let them go’ while running alongside their departing bus.
This comes after the women stood silent during their country’s anthem at their match against South Korea on Monday, in a defiant move which sparked a furious response from the Iranian State.
Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, a television presenter considered a radical mouthpiece for the regime, demanded the authorities label the team ‘traitors’.
‘Let me just say one thing: traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely,’ he said, according to social media platform X’s translation.
The comments appeared to influence the women, who were later declared ‘hostages’ as they sang the anthem before Thursday’s 4-0 loss against Australia.
But fans at the Asian Cup have jumped to the support of the Iranians, who once again decided to sing before losing 2-0 to the Philippines on Sunday.
The team’s initial refusal to sing their anthem came just two days after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had brutally ruled over Iran for more than four decades.
In his speech condemning the Iranian side’s defiance, presenter Shahbazi continued: ‘Anyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely. Like this matter of our women’s football team not singing the national anthem, and that photo that was published and so on, which I won’t get into.
‘Both the public and the authorities must treat these individuals as “wartime traitors”.
‘It should not be viewed merely as an objection or a symbolic gesture.
‘The stain of dishonour and treason must remain on their foreheads, and they must face a definitive and severe confrontation.’
Now, advocates are imploring Australian officials to meet with the Iranian women’s soccer team to secure their safety.
Community groups have written to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, pleading with him to intervene on behalf of the women.
The team is staying at the Royal Pines resort on the Gold Coast and is due to leave Australia later this week.
Rana Dadpour, the founder of women’s rights group AUSIRAN, said government officials should organise private meetings with the team members before they leave the country, warning they could face execution if they return home.
‘We need to talk with these girls away from the handlers and the regime-affiliated people who are following them right now in Australia,’ she said.
‘If they want to stay, I think we need to provide them with every support that we can.’
While government officials have been reluctant to discuss the team’s plight, fearing the publicity could put the women and their families at further risk, Ms Dadpour said global pressure was often effective on the Iranian regime.
‘We’ve had many cases of execution orders that have been previously delayed or stopped only because of the international pressure and media attention,’ she said.
Since the conflict broke out on Saturday, February 28, approximately 1,850 people have been killed in Iran, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Israel, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
The Iranian regime appointed its new Supreme Leader, with Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei set to come into power.
Mojtaba, 56, Khamenei’s second oldest son, has strong links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and was chosen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts ‘under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards’, according to Iranian opposition outlet Iran International.
Mojtaba is not a high-ranking cleric, has never held office and does not have an official role in the regime.
Earlier in the day, Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones at the UAE and Israel as it furiously retaliated after an overnight bombardment which left Tehran burning.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv, with missile warnings in the UAE, as Iran hit out following the Israeli attack on oil depots which caused a ‘river of fire’ to engulf its capital.
At least six people were injured in Israel, including one seriously, as a result of the barrage.
