Iranian footballer reverses asylum decision as country's football chief criticises Australia — as it happened

Our live blog will return tomorrow — here are today's key developments:

• Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says one of the Iranian women's footballers granted protection has decided to return to Iran
• In an appearance on Iranian state television, the country's football chief criticised efforts to help players seek asylum
• Mehdi Taj also cast doubt on whether the men's team would or should travel to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup
• The United States said it would launch its heaviest day of strikes on Iran so far. One resident in the capital, Tehran, said it was "like hell"
• Iran accused Israel of killing four of its diplomats in a weekend strike in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, in what it called a "terrorist attack"

— David Aidone

One of the Iranian soccer teammates who was offered asylum last night has spoken to other teammates and changed their mind.

She was advised by her teammates to contact the Iranian embassy to be collected, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told parliament.

Burke said the call meant the embassy knew the location of the other women granted asylum, and they have since been moved.

He added the government will not stand in the way of the teammate's departure.

"In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which she has made that decision," Burke told the House of Representatives.

"Unfortunately, in making that decision, she had been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and get collected.

"As a result of that, it meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was. I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved, and that’s been dealt with immediately."

— Naveen Razik, Alexandra Koster

The Iranian Football Federation has spoken out after in the wake of seven women's football team members being granted asylum in Australia.

Appearing on Iranian state television, Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation, accused people in Australia of telling the players they would be arrested or executed in Iran, which he said were "baseless claims".

Fears for the team's safety erupted after they were labelled "wartime traitors" by Iranian state media for refusing to sing the national anthem before their opening match — widely viewed as a silent protest.

Taj said that after the team's match against the Matildas on Thursday: "Australian police intervened and took some of the players from the hotel."

"They [players] were told if they go back, they'll arrest them all and execute them … Baseless claims," Taj said in Farsi, which SBS News has translated.

Taj also alleged there were attempts to prevent the team from leaving Australia.

"They've done some horrific things. Last night, a group of people even lay down in front of a car on its way to the airport," he said.

"They have stopped the players in front of the gate [in the airport] and told all of them that you should seek refuge … and the police say they have been ordered by [the Australian] government."

Protesters, fearing for the safety of the team if they returned to Iran, gathered at their Gold Coast resort on Tuesday as they left for the airport. Footage showed some laying in front of the bus as it attempted to depart.

There were also protesters at Sydney Airport where they travelled through before flying out of the county. It was here that Home Affairs officials spoke to players and support staff individually, offering them protection.

"The worst part is when police intervene at the departure gate, just as someone is about to leave the country, and apply for asylum on their behalf."

"Our friends there have asked them [the police] why? And they have said we have an order from the prime minister."

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said players were "given a chance" to seek asylum and there was "no pressure".

"What we made sure of was that there was no rushing, there was no pressure. Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice," Burke said.

Burke has since confirmed one member of the squad has changed their mind and will return to Iran.

The head of the Iranian Football Federation has dismissed some concerns about the Iranian women's football team as "baseless"

Taj also mentioned a social media post about the Iranian football team made by US President Donald Trump before the initial offers of protection were confirmed.

In these tweets, Trump urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to offer the team protection, saying the US would otherwise. Soon after, in a 2am phone call with Albanese on Monday, Trump commended the prime minister saying: "He's on it!"

Taj said Trump had "taken our girls hostage".

The federal government has said it had made a decision on offering asylum before this conversation.

He also appeared to cast doubt on whether the men's team would or should travel to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Given the problems that have arisen for the women footballers, if the outlook for the World Cup is going to be like this, no rational person would agree to be sent to the United States."

— Alexandra Koster, Niv Sadrolodabaee

It's just past 5am on Wednesday morning in Iran's captital, Tehran, with the United States concluding what they said would be the "most intense day of strikes" on Iran so far.

"Today will be yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran: the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever," US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday (local time).

The Reuters news agency spoke to residents in Tehran who said it was the war's most intense night of bombardment.

"It was like hell. They were bombing everywhere, every part of Tehran," a resident told Reuters by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

"My children are afraid to sleep now."

The US military says it has destoryed 16 of Iran's "inactive" mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint to the Gulf through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.

He also threatened retaliatory action "at a level never seen before" if Iran refused to remove any mines placed.

On Wednesday morning local time, Iran has launched new strikes on Israeli and American targets in the Middle East, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards calling the three-hour barrage "the most intense and heaviest since the start of the war".

It targeted Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa, "numerous US targets in Erbil" in Iraqi Kurdistan, and a US naval base in Bahrain.

— Alexandra Koster, Reuters, Agence France-Presse

Iran has accused Israel of killing four of its diplomats in a weekend strike in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, in what it calls a "terrorist attack".

The Israeli military had previously claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had "conducted a precise strike targeting key commanders" in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force — its foreign operations arm.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations later accused the Security Council of ignoring what he called a "grave terrorist attack" and a "war crime".

"The Council is turning a blind eye to this grave violation despite its primary responsibility under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security," Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters in New York.

— Agence France-Presse

The Australian government has advised travellers to "exercise a high degree of caution" in Armenia, raising its advice level due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Armenia is a landlocked country that borders Türkiye to the west and Iran to the south.

"We raised our level of advice for Armenia to exercise a high degree of caution due to the volatile security situation in Iran on 28 February," the Smart Traveller website reads.

The Australian government has upgraded its travel advice to Armenia. Source: Supplied / Smart Traveller

That update was issued on Monday.

The website states: "Retaliatory strikes are occurring in the Middle East region following military strikes on Iran. Military conflict in the Middle East region may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions. Prioritise your safety, monitor events and follow local advice."

In early February, the warning level was green, with travellers advised to exercise normal safety precautions.

Australians have been urged to "exercise a high degree of caution" in Armenia due to the conflict in the Middle East. Source: Getty / Universal Images Group

Armenia has emerged as a travel hotspot in recent years, with tourism surging.

According to UN Tourism, 2.3 million international tourist arrivals visited Armenia in 2023, a 22.3 per cent increase compared with 2019.

— Alexandra Koster

During his press conference earlier this morning, Tony Burke was asked if he had received any security advice about potential retaliatory action from Iran targeting Australians.

Burke said Australia's general terrorism threat level hadn't changed.

"Our threat alert was already at probable — and remains at probable," he said.

A "probable" general terrorism threat level means there's a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning within the next 12 months. It was raised from 'possible' to 'probable' in August 2024.

Burke was also asked about the safety of the members of the Iranian team returning to Iran, and said he had spoken with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner.

"In terms of the security of the women themselves, I made sure that, before decisions were made, I'd spoken to AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett to ensure that we had very thorough methods of making sure that there was a plan for the safety of those women."

— Alexandra Koster

The United States military says it has destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

It comes after US President Donald Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the key waterway, though admitted in a post on his Truth Social platform that the US had "no reports of them doing so".

The Strait of Hormuz — through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes — has been virtually closed due to the war in the Middle East, after Iran vowed no Gulf oil would move through it while the US and Israel continued to pound the country with airstrikes.

"US forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz," the United States Central Command said in a post on X that included video footage of various boats being struck by projectiles and exploding.

— Alex Gallagher

Tony Burke said there were some members of the Iranian women's soccer delegation that he was "glad to see leave the country".

"There is a reason why some people were not made a direct offer," Burke said.

While Burke did not outline specific reasons for those denials, he said those "trying to actively discourage women from taking up an option" were "not the sort of person who I want to give an option to".

"They're the people who we were quite happy to see leave Australia," he said.

He did not specify whether these were support staff or minders.

"We had to make sure, with a very significant police presence last night, that the people who we were glad to see leave the country made no attempt to intimidate or try to get physically near the people who we were providing a choice for," he added.

The home affairs minister also said that, prior to the delegation arriving in Australia for the tournament, he worked with security agencies to ensure those associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were not granted visas to enter the country.

"Not everyone who applied for a visa [ahead of the tournament] got one. People who were connected to the IRGC were not granted visas," Burke said.

Burke's office has clarified to SBS News that the members of the Iranian delegation who were not offered humanitarian visas this week were denied because of other assessments.

— Alexandra Koster

Regarding reports that one member of the Iranian women's football team refused to get on the plane in Sydney, Tony Burke says there was one player who boarded later than others because they were speaking to family.

"There was one person where conversations with family were happening, and we weren't sure which way that person would go. That individual, though, ultimately made their own decision," the Home Affairs minister says.

"There is a lot of work, including me sending messages back and forth from my plane, trying to find the right numbers, and ultimately getting somebody to call the home affairs number from overseas so that the conversation could happen. But the people who that individual wanted to talk to were all made available."

— Alexandra Koster

Australia's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, has confirmed that two additional members of the Iranian women's football team have sought asylum in Australia, after five members of the team were granted humanitarian visas yesterday.

"Two members of the group that was part of the Iranian women's soccer delegation had indicated that they wanted to take up an offer from Australia. One was a player. One was a support person," Burke says.

Burke says both were offered humanitarian visas, which have a pathway to permanent visas. Those were processed overnight.

"After I'd flown on to Sydney, those two women were reunited with the other five players," Burke says.

He added that each player was separated as they went through customs and offered the chance to stay in Australia.

Tony Burke said most members of Iran's national women's football team were taken to interview rooms without minders present. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

"They were given a chance. Each player, and each member of the team — with the exception of a small number of people, where we had made the decision that we did not want to make a direct offer to them — but all the players remaining and most of the support people were taken into interview rooms without any minders present."

"They were given a choice in that situation. What we made sure of was there was no rushing, there was no pressure. Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice."

Burke says that some players wanted to make contact directly with their family members in the room before making their decision. "None of those individuals made the decision to take up the offer from Australia," he says.

"There was no way we were going to see people make it all the way to a plane without having them away from every minder, without having them completely on their own, with a chance to call family if they wanted, so that as best people, they had agency over their decision."

— Alexandra Koster

There's a lot that's happened overnight in the Middle East. Here's what you need to know:

• Pentagon chief Pete Hesgeth has warned that today will be the "most intense" day of US strikes yet
• United States President Donald Trump says the US has "completely destroyed" ten inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, "with more to follow"
• Trump also issued a warning to Iran over any attempt to place mines in the waterway, saying they must be moved "IMMEDIATELY" or the consequences to Iran will "be at a level never seen before"
• Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected claims from the Trump administration that Iran was planning to attack the US or US forces ahead of the joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran that prompted the war, calling it "sheer and utter lie". The US and Israel have repeatedly justified their attack on Iran as "pre-emptive"

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conflict will continue until Iran agrees to a "complete and unconditional surrender"
• The US has reportedly asked Israel to pause strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure — the first time the US has asked its ally to pull back since the war began 11 days ago

— Alexandra Koster

Retired Socceroos captain and human rights activist Craig Foster has called for greater accountability from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation, saying it was "foreseeable" that Iranian players would seek asylum.

"There will have to be accountability by the Asian Football Confederation and by FIFA as to what did not occur, what processes were not in place ... this should have been avoidable," Foster told the Australian Associated Press.

"It was foreseeable before the tournament. What has happened is neither uncommon ... and was preventable."

Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster called for reform of global sport governance as women continued to be placed in these situations "far too often". Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

He called for reform of global sport governance as he said women continued to be placed in these situations "far too often".

There have been previous instances where athletes have claimed asylum during sporting events, such as when the Afghan women's cricket team, staff and family members fled to Australia after the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

— Alexandra Koster, Australian Associated Press

Two federal government sources have confirmed to SBS News that two more women from the Iranian soccer delegation are seeking asylum in Australia, taking the total number to seven.

The remaining Lionesses departed Australia on Tuesday night, but two additional players did not board their final flight at Sydney Airport.

The offer of asylum was open to other players, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

There are fears for the players' safety after they were labelled "traitors" by Iranian state media for refusing to sing the national anthem before their Asian World Cup opening match, in an apparent silent protest. Refugee advocates have said those returning to Iran could possibly face execution, while their families may face retaliation from the regime.

We'll get more details when they come through.

— Alexandra Koster, Anna Henderson

Two additional Iranian football players have reportedly sought asylum in Australia after competing in the Women's Asian Cup tournament.

Asked about it this morning on ABC News, Foreign Minister Penny Wong palmed it off to Australia's home affairs minister, Tony Burke.

"We have offered the opportunity to speak privately with Australian officials to team members," Wong says. "We have had five who have taken up Australia."

"Tony Burke is shortly [up] ... I will leave it for him to confirm if there have been any more who have taken up that offer. This is a sensitive situation, and there has been a lot done by Tony Burke and his officials to ensure that these offers could be made and could be taken up."

Multiple outlets have reported that one of the players refused to get on a plane leaving the country at the last minute on Tuesday night. Wong also would not confirm this.

Protesters opposed to the Iranian regime gathered at Sydney airport on Tuesday night, where remaining members of the Iranian national women's football team left the country. Source: AAP / Sarah Wilson

It's expected that Burke will speak at about 9am.

— Alexandra Koster

Good morning, thanks for joining our coverage of the war in the Middle East.

There are grave concerns after members of Iran's national women's football team who did not seek asylum in Australia departed the country on a flight from Sydney on Tuesday night. Demonstrators opposed to the Iranian government gathered at the airport.

The team had been labelled "traitors" by Iranian state media for refusing to sing the national anthem before their opening match in the Asian Cup.

READ MORE

'She can't make a decision': Desperate plea amid fears Iranian players are being coerced

The government confirmed yesterday that five members of the team had been granted humanitarian visas. There have been reports that two more members have also sought asylum, but there has not yet been any official confirmation from the government.

Meanwhile, the United States and Israel are carrying out what US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has described as "our most intense day of strikes" yet against Iran.

Stay with us as we bring you the biggest updates throughout the day.

— Alex Gallagher