Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian released a lengthy statement on Sunday, distributed by the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), that addressed a number of topics, including the Iranian athletes who were offered asylum in Australia in March.
Australia granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member from the Iranian squad in early March after they sought asylum over fears of possible persecution upon returning home. The concerns came after they failed to sing the national anthem at a Women's Asian Cup match. Three members of the delegation decided to abandon the asylum offer. Another member later changed her mind, leaving only two members in Australia.
Of those who chose to return to Iran, Pezeshkian said: "We take pride in them and thank them and their families." He added that those who stayed - who "have been misled" - would be welcomed back to Iran should they choose to return.
"We belong to this land, and we must not allow anyone to divide or weaken our country," Pezeshkian said.
Iranian football players face government pressure to return to Iran
Tasnim News Agency claimed in March that Australian authorities tried to pressure members of Iran’s women’s national football team into seeking asylum during their trip to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, presenting the episode as a Western political operation rather than a story about the players’ fears of returning home.
Tasnim further claimed Sydney police separated players from coaching staff, offered them incentives such as housing and education, and tried to create conditions for asylum.
"We are proud of our female soccer players who did not succumb to Australia's deceit," said Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei in March, when referring to the decision by the Iranian women's national soccer team to forgo asylum and return from Australia.
According to Baghaei, "What happened in Australia was a clear example of hypocrisy and deceit."
Tobias Holcman and Reuters contributed to this report.