Iran Women's Football Team Returns Islamic republic After Asylum Battle

Iranian authorities on Thursday gave the national women's football team a hero's welcome after their return to the Islamic republic from Australia where some had made and then withdrawn asylum claims, amid accusations Iran had pressured their families. 

Six players and one backroom staff member who travelled to Australia for the Women's Asian Cup sought asylum earlier this month after they sparked criticism from hardliners in Iran for failing to sing the national anthem before



their first match.

Five of them later changed their minds and returned home along with the rest of the team, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, with their fate sparking international concern amid the war against Israel and the United States.

Activists have accused Iranian authorities of pressuring the women's families, including summoning their parents for interrogations, while Tehran has alleged that Australia sought to force the athletes to defect.