As the opening bars of “Mehr-e Khavaran (Eastern Sun)” played at Gold Coast Stadium, nearly 13,000 kilometers from Tehran, Iran’s women’s national team raised their hands to their temples in salute. Most appeared to sing along to their national anthem before their Asian Cup match against Australia.
Three days earlier the same squad had remained silent while their anthem played before the opener against South Korea. Observers say it seems likely the players faced pressure from authorities to conform between matches.
“Whether they were saying their prayers, or mouthing the anthem, it was clear to anyone watching on that the players had received the message from home that they needed to demonstrate symbolic solidarity with their homeland, currently under siege,” said Catherine Ordway, an Australian lawyer, academic and sport integrity consultant who has worked with international sporting bodies.
The scenes recall Iran’s men’s team at the 2022 World Cup, who refused to sing in their opening match against England before mouthing the words in a later game against Wales. That was amid anti-government protests focused on women’s rights; the current unrest ties to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and the Islamic Republic’s responses.
Ordway described the women’s team’s earlier silence and the loosening of headscarves as “a profoundly brave form of physical dissent,” noting the extra dangers women face in Iran and the regime’s history of punishing symbolic resistance.
The squad and its staff have largely limited contact with the media at the Asian Cup, holding only mandatory press conferences and instructing reporters to restrict questions to football. Still, the strain on players was evident. Striker Sara Didar, 21, fought back tears in a pre-match press conference.
“Obviously we’re all concerned and we’re sad at what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran,” she said. “I really hope for our country to have good news ahead. And I hope that my country will be strongly alive.”
Protesters gathered outside the stadium ahead of the Australia match, and some fans in the stands waved the Lion and Sun flag used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Banners supporting human rights and backing Iran’s players appeared as well, while others opposed Australia’s support for the US-Israeli attack.
Sport is one of the few platforms that brings Iran’s people into international view, but dissent can carry heavy consequences. Recent high-profile cases include Sahar Khodayari, the “Blue Girl” who set herself on fire in 2019 after being barred from attending football and later died; wrestler Navid Afkari, executed in 2020 after being convicted in connection with anti-government protests; and Kimia Alizadeh, Iran’s only female Olympic medalist, who fled the country amid oppression.
“The Iranian authorities use sport to enforce moral codes and suppress dissent, even for female spectators,” Ordway said. “Women athletes face additional layers of surveillance and punishment because their bodies are politicized, controlled, and heavily policed.”
Iran’s women have lost 4-0 and 3-0 to Australia and South Korea so far, and a March 8 match against the Philippines is unlikely to change their chances of reaching the knockout stages. Nonetheless, their silence, salutes and presence have been meaningful gestures.
The international sporting calendar may provide further moments of tension. Iran’s sole Paralympic athlete, Aboulfazl Khatibii Mianaei, is listed for men’s Para cross-country skiing next week, and Iran’s men are set to play at least three matches in the United States during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“I would expect to see further subtle, deniable gestures from Iranian athletes on field and in press conferences, but overt protest is unlikely due to heightened surveillance and risk,” Ordway said. “However, diaspora Iranians and international athletes may show more visible solidarity.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold