Three more female Iranian footballers change their minds on asylum in Australia
The decision led to them being branded "war traitors" in Iran.
Another three members of the Iranian women's football delegation have changed their mind and will return home, after they were given humanitarian visas to stay in Australia.
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The trio - named by human rights activists in the Iranian diaspora - is understood to comprise of Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, Mona Hamoudi, and Zahra Sarbali.
Many expressed concern over the wellbeing of the Iranian team after they were silent for the country's anthem in their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea on March 2.
The decision led to them being branded "war traitors" in Iran.
After the incident, Australia's home affairs minister said his government had done everything it could to ensure the women were given the chance to have a safe future.
The recent change of mind means that of the seven who initially said they wanted to remain in Australia, only three now remain as defectors.
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According to the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the three had “given up on their asylum application in Australia and are currently heading to Malaysia”.
They posted a picture of the women allegedly boarding a plane.
Before now, five of the players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim asylum in Australia.
A sixth player and a support staffer claimed asylum before the rest of the team flew out of Sydney earlier this week.
The Iranian team has been in Australia participating in a football tournament, held in the Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland, when the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28.
The initial attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has launched missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries which host US military bases - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Since then, over 1000 people have been killed since the war began- including around 150 schoolgirls who were inside a primary school in the Iranian city of Minab.