Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that the three players made their decision “overnight” and were given repeated chances to discuss their options before departing.
“While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” Burke said.
The latest departures follow earlier moves by some team members to accept Australian humanitarian visas. Initially, six players and a support staff member from the 26-player squad accepted visas before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew to Malaysia on March 9. Another player later changed her mind and also left Australia.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency identified the latest three to leave as two players and the support staff member, saying they were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland.” The agency described their return as “the disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump,” referencing U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier urging of Australia to help the women.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, a senior Australian government minister, said he was worried about the women who changed their minds.
“I can only imagine the pressure that they feel and how difficult these sorts of decisions would be for them,” Chalmers told Seven Network television. He added that Australians should be proud their country presented the team with choices and sought to help them.
Burke emphasized that the government had done everything possible to provide the women with a chance for a safe future in Australia.
The players’ initial decision not to sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match at the Women’s Asian Cup had heightened concerns about their safety if they returned to Iran. The team arrived in Australia in February for the tournament, which proceeded amid escalating regional tensions following the outbreak of war in the Middle East on Feb. 28.