"It's completely obvious that the Islamic Republic's regime, and the security team which is with the players in Australia, forced them to sing and do the military salute. There is no doubt about this."
"No-one likes what's happening, no-one wants war. However, the head coach insisted Iran have come here to play football, emphasizing the team's focus on their sporting objectives despite the challenging geopolitical circumstances affecting their nation."
Iran's women's football team displayed contrasting approaches to their national anthem during the Asian Cup in Australia. They remained silent before their opening match against South Korea, which occurred amid escalating conflict following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. However, they sang and performed military salutes before their match against Australia. A correspondent for Iran International TV stated the players were under instruction from the regime's security team to sing. The team arrived in Australia before the air strikes began, with over 1,100 Iranian civilians estimated killed. Head coach Marziyeh Jafari stated the team came to play football despite the difficult circumstances. This pattern mirrors the men's team's behavior at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Read at www.bbc.com
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