Iran’s women’s football team silently sang the national anthem in the Asian Cup – National match
Iran’s national women’s soccer team remained silent during their national anthem on Monday night before their Women’s World Cup opener against South Korea.
Before the start of their group game against South Korea, which they won 3-0 at the Gold Coast Stadium, Queensland, Australia, Iran’s players stood firm, looking forward as their country’s national anthem rang out on the field.
Their silence came in the wake of a US-Israeli airstrike in Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top officials on Saturday.
Iran responded by targeting US military bases and other diplomatic strongholds located throughout the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
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Although most of those attacks were intercepted by air defenses, at least five people have been reported dead since Monday, including three people in the UAE and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, and his players did not comment on their peace, war or Khamenei’s death.
Iranian players react on the bench during the Women’s Asia Cup soccer match between Iran and South Korea in Gold Coast, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026.
Dave Hunt/AAPImage via AP
The team touched down in Australia just days before the strikes began and are expected to play host nation Australia on Thursday, before their final group stage match against the Philippines on Sunday.
Foreign players praised the bravery of the Iranian women’s team.
“Our hearts go out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and do well,” Australian midfielder Amy Sayer told The Guardian.
“They played hard, even with the current political situation and the struggles they may be facing,” he continued.
“The best thing we can do to contribute is to give them the best game of football [on Thursday] that we know how to show them respect on the field. I hope the situation gets better and they can continue to stay safe in Australia,” concluded Sayer.
The conflict continued this week, with Israel sending new troops to Lebanon and an explosion in Tehran. Hundreds of people have been killed, most of them in Iran.
The intensity of the war raised questions about when and how it would end.
Trump said it could take four to five weeks, but said the US is willing to go longer. He appeared to open up the possibility of more involvement by the US military, telling the New York Post on Monday that he would not say there might be boots on the ground.
– Via files from the Associated Press
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