00:00Three members of the Iranian women's soccer team who had sought asylum in Australia have changed their minds and decided
00:07to return to Iran, Australia's government said on Sunday.
00:11Australia granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian soccer players last week.
00:16They'd declined to sing the national anthem at a women's Asian cup match in early March and said they feared
00:22persecution if they returned home.
00:24The tournament, hosted by Australia, started just as the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing the Islamic
00:31Republic's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
00:34After the team opted to stand in silence during Iran's anthem before their first match, they were labelled, quote, wartime
00:41traitors by a presenter on state television, raising fears for their safety.
00:46Four of the seven who had been granted asylum have now decided to leave Australia, after another teammate changed her
00:52mind last week.
00:54Australia's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, said in a statement the women had been given, quote, repeated chances to talk
01:01about their options.
01:02Iran's Football Association said that after arriving in Malaysia to join the rest of the team, the three would travel
01:08on to Tehran.
01:09The women did sing the national anthem and salute before losing to the Philippines on Sunday, which knocked them out
01:15of the tournament.
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