A total of three players and one manager have now withdrawn their applications in recent days.
In early March, the players of the Iranian women's national team chose not to sing the national anthem during a match at the Asian Championship in Australia. The action could be interpreted as a silent protest against the regime in Iran, which had been attacked by the United States and Israel in late February. The players were then branded as "traitors" on Iranian state television. In the following match, the players saluted during the national anthem.
After Iran's final group match in the tournament, six players and one manager sought and were granted asylum.
