Three Iranian women soccer players to return home after seeking asylum in Australia

SYDNEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Three members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who had sought asylum ​in Australia have decided to return ‌to Iran, the 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.

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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,” ‌Tony ⁠Burke, the Australian minister for home affairs, 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 team’s campaign in the ​Asian ⁠Cup started just as the U.S. 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.

Reporting by Praveen Menon; editing by Diane Craft

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