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Iran women’s football team sing national anthem at Asian Cup just days after silent protest
The Iran women's football team sang and saluted their national anthem before their Women's Asian Cup match against Australia on Thursday, a marked shift from their silent protest ahead of their opening game.
This earlier silence, observed before Monday's loss to South Korea, had been widely interpreted as either an act of defiance against the regime or a gesture of mourning for those affected by ongoing conflicts.
The team, however, offered no official clarification for their initial stance.
In a poignant press conference preceding the Australia fixture, Iranian striker Sara Didar became visibly emotional.
She shared the profound concerns held by both players and management for the safety and well-being of their families and loved ones amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The 21-year-old Didar was a substitute for Thursday's game, which was played in pouring rain on the Gold Coast, where Iran is scheduled to compete in all three of its Group A matches.
The Iranian squad had arrived in Australia well before the recent strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran last Saturday, adding another layer of tension to their presence.
This fluctuating approach to the national anthem mirrors a similar situation involving the Iranian men’s team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The men's squad notably refrained from singing their anthem before their initial defeat against England, as significant domestic turmoil overshadowed the start of their campaign.
In a subsequent match against Wales, however, the men sang along to the anthem and celebrated their goals. Iran beat Wales 2-0 in that match, but failed to qualify from their group.
That World Cup appearance coincided with a brutal crackdown on a major women’s protest movement within Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the country’s morality police.