<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Three more </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/us-israel-attack-iran-women-footballers-in-queensland-seek-asylum/ae4e93a0-47a2-445f-9c74-e4cd5b52df33" rel="" target="_blank" title="players from the Iranian women's football team who were granted asylum"><span>players from the Iranian women's football team who were granted asylum</span></a><span> in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia "><span>Australia </span></a><span>over fears for their safety have decided to return home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The team were branded "traitors" by the Islamic regime when they refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before their Asian Cup game on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/gold-coast" rel="" target="_blank" title="Gold Coast"><span>Gold Coast</span></a><span> against South Korea following the outbreak of war in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/middle-east" rel="" target="_blank" title="Middle East"><span>Middle East</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government organised humanitarian visas for six members of the team and a support staffer - </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/iranian-football-players-senior-iranian-community-figure-says-more-footballers-seek-asylum/871406ab-bfe3-41ca-94aa-598f80eeeffe" rel="" target="" title="one of whom later had a change of heart and decided to return to Iran"><span>one of whom later had a change of heart and decided to return to Iran</span></a><span>.</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/world/us-israel-iran-war-donald-trump-sends-2500-more-marines-as-conflict-enters-third-week/c91f61a6-1930-4dbb-ad2e-e4724fb2a93b" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Iran directly threatens neighbouring country for first time in three week war</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said three more have similarly reversed their decision overnight and will join the rest of their team to return to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="_blank" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options," he said in a statement this morning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/iranian-footballers-granted-asylum-three-more-decide-to-return-to-iran/3bbdd83b-1fe2-4eed-b545-6b24ef7b8740" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Australian government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them."</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/does-australia-have-another-petrol-would-we-run-out-of-fuel-oil-supply-iran-war-news/1f4af25b-2f5a-43d3-8a83-dcc919e12e28" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Burke and his department travelled to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/brisbane" rel="" target="_blank" title="Brisbane "><span>Brisbane </span></a><span>to speak with the women separately via a translator and learned that an initial six players and a staff member wanted to remain in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/iran-womens-football-team-timeline-australian-government/925463a1-cd49-427d-9cc1-b2baa76c051e" rel="" target="_blank" title="They were moved to a secret location"><span>They were moved to a secret location</span></a><span> by the Australian Federal Police and, hours later, granted humanitarian visas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The group had to be immediately moved after one of the women gave away the location when she made the decision to return with the rest of the group to Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>