Iran women’s soccer team silent for national anthem at Asian Cup game – National
Before kickoff in their group match against South Korea, who went on to win 3-0 at the Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland, Australia, the Iranian players stayed tightlipped, looking straight ahead as their country’s anthem rang out through the stadium.
Their silence came amid coordinated U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other high-ranking officials on Saturday.
Iran countered by targeting U.S. military bases and other diplomatic strongholds dotted throughout the Middle East incuding in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
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Although most of those attacks have been intercepted by air defences, at least five deaths were reported as of Monday, including three people in the UAE and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, and her players did not comment on their silence, the war or the death of Khamenei.
Iranian players react from the bench during the Women’s Asia Cup soccer match between Iran and South Korea on the Gold Coast, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026.
Dave Hunt/AAPImage via AP
The team touched down in Australia several days before the ongoing strikes began and is set to play host nation Australia on Thursday, before their final group stage match against the Philippines on Sunday.
Players from other nations have commended the Iranian women’s team for its courage.
“Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” Australia midfielder Amy Sayer told The Guardian.
“They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through,” she continued.
“The best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football [on Thursday] that we’re able and to show them the respect on the field. Hopefully the situation improves and they can keep staying safe in Australia,” Sayer concluded.
The conflict escalated further this week, with Israel sending new ground troops into Lebanon and explosions ringing out in Tehran. Hundreds of people have been killed, the vast majority in Iran.
The spiralling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end.
Trump said it could last four to five weeks, but that the U.S. was prepared to go longer. He seemed to leave open the possibility for more extensive U.S. military involvement, telling the New York Post on Monday that he was not ruling out the possibility of boots on the ground.
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— With files from the Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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