Iran releases assets of women’s football captain in Australia asylum row
Iran women’s football captain Zahra Ghanbari has had previously seized assets returned by the country’s judiciary, marking a notable development in the asylum dispute that emerged during the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, Al Jazeera reports.
The decision came after Ghanbari withdrew her asylum application and went back to Iran. This is seen as the strongest indication so far that Tehran views the players’ return as politically advantageous, despite ongoing concerns over potential pressure, coercion, and the safety of those involved.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Mizan News Agency reported that “the assets of Zahra Ghanbari, a footballer for the Iranian women’s national team, which had been seized, were released by court decision.” The agency also described the ruling as “a declaration of innocence following her change in behaviour.”
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States was prepared to offer protection to members of Iran’s women’s national football team if Australia declined to grant them asylum.
The issue emerged after players remained silent during Iran’s national anthem before an Asian Cup match in Australia, a gesture widely seen as a protest against authorities in their home country. The move raised concerns about their safety if they returned to Iran.
Australian authorities had not publicly confirmed whether asylum would be granted to the players.
The developments came as attention also turned to Iran’s men’s national team, which was scheduled to play World Cup matches in the United States that summer. FIFA had not publicly said whether the team’s travel to North America could be affected by the situation.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Iran’s Assembly of Experts had appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the nation’s new supreme leader, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei.
