Anonymous20 days ago
Four of the seven members of Iran's women's national football team who sought asylum in Australia during the AFC Women's Asian Cup have reversed their decisions and are returning home, amid mounting evidence of a coordinated Iranian government pressure campaign involving family threats, phone confiscation, and diplomatic intimidation. The saga — which has triggered Iran's likely withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup over defection fears — exposes the brutal machinery a wartime regime deploys against athletes who dare to dissent.