The Iranian women's national team and its leaders remained silent as the Iranian national anthem was played at a stadium on the Gold Coast in Australia. The silence can be interpreted as a silent protest against the Iranian regime, which is under heavy pressure after attacks by the US and Israel that killed, among others, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During the match, several Iranian supporters were seen waving the version of the Iranian flag used before the 1979 revolution, the DPA reported.
Neither before nor after the match, which South Korea won 3–0, did players or national team captain Marziyeh Jafari comment on the war in their homeland.
Iran will face Australia on Thursday.
