<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Five players from Iran's women's football team have escaped from their handlers at a Gold Coast hotel, as US President Donald Trump joined the voices urging Australia to grant the whole team asylum.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The women, who are now under police protection, fear persecution if they return home after being labelled traitors for not singing the national anthem at the Asian Cup in Queensland.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump said Australia was "making a terrible humanitarian mistake" if the women were "forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/australia-asx-fall-us-iran-conflict-oil/683dd1fc-6f60-4295-819a-4e1e87ecaab3"><strong><span>Australia hit by $90 billion wipeout in worst trading day in a year</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Don't do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM," Trump posted on Truth Social just after 1am (AEDT).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The US will take them if you won't. Thank you for your attention to this matter."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His comments came shortly after the five women broke free and it wasn't clear if he was informed of that development.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/us-israel-attack-iran-women-footballers-in-queensland-seek-asylum/ae4e93a0-47a2-445f-9c74-e4cd5b52df33" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, the department, and the Australian Federal Police have been contacted for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Whilst only five of the team's players had been able to escape, it was hoped more would join them, Iranian Society of Queensland vice president Hadi Karimi told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was amazing, mate," Karimi said after it emerged that the five women were free.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I cried, this is amazing, amazing news."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Karimi could not say how the five women had escaped from their hotel last night but it was hoped more of the players would be able to join them in the coming hours.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/mojtaba-khamenei-son-of-irans-supreme-leader-has-been-named-his-successor-iranian-state-tv-says/2af18a14-e341-4b8d-9e30-e3382d346e47"><strong><span>Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader?</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The five who were being protected by police were Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi, Karimi said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"[They] have left the team's training camp and successfully sought refuge in Australia," he said in a post on Instagram.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These five courageous athletes, currently in a safe location, have announced that they have joined Iran's national Lion and Sun Revolution."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Karimi said a group of volunteers would remain at the hotel throughout the night, ready to help if any other of the players managed to leave.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Concerns had grown for the footballers since Sunday night when it was claimed at least one of the women made "a sign for help" as the team bus left Gold Coast Stadium after their Asian Cup campaign ended.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging the Australian government to step in.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier on Monday, Professional Footballers Australia boss Beau Busch said efforts to speak to Iranian players had been in vain.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The reality at the moment is that we're unable to get in touch with the players," Busch told </span><em><span>The Sydney Morning Herald</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's incredibly concerning, that's not a new thing, that's really been since the repression really dialled up in this – sort of February, January etc.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So we're really concerned about the players, but our responsibility right now is to do everything within our power to try and make sure that they're safe."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong would not comment at the weekend on the specific cases of the women seeking asylum.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people. We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women and we stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran and particularly Iranian women and girls," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't want to get into commentary about the Iranian women's team."</span></div></div>