As a bus transported the remaining members of Iran’s women’s soccer team to Gold Coast Airport on Tuesday, players were seen through the windows flashing their phone flashlights. To some observers, this looked like SOS signals—a plea for help to avoid being sent home.
The moment was captured on video and went viral after X user EYakoby posted it, quickly pulling in over 7 million views as of Wednesday morning. The clip showed the darkened bus windows flickering with phone lights – as crowds outside shouted: “Save our girls.”
Human rights advocate Hadi Karimi, who was among those gathered outside the team’s hotel, told reporters on the scene that he also could see at least three players inside displaying what he identified as an internationally recognized distress hand signal, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The chaotic scene unfolded hours after Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had already secured humanitarian visas for five of the 26-member squad, transporting them with a federal police escort to a secure location early in the morning.
By Tuesday evening, the total number of teammates and team staff members seeking asylum had climbed to seven, with two more women coming forward. However, the majority of the team pressed on toward the airport – even as Australian officials made efforts inside the terminal to ensure each woman understood she had a “choice” to stay.
According to AP News, as the team’s flight time approached, each player was pulled aside individually to meet privately with officials, who communicated through interpreters that they were being offered the right to stay permanently in Australia. The meetings were described as very emotional. Yet, despite the interventions, the rest of the squad declined the offers and boarded the flight.
“Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice,” Burke said afterward.
The SOS signals have only added urgency to already serious concerns about what awaits the players in Iran. The crisis began on March 2, when several players stood silent during Iran’s national anthem before their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea. Iranian state television swiftly condemned them as “traitors,” and sources close to the team told CNN the players had been pressured to sing the anthem in following matches under direct threats against their families back home.
Sports journalist Raha Pourbakhsh reported that the families of at least three of the five original asylum seekers had already received threats.
President Trump weighed in Monday, posting on Truth Social that Australia would be making “a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to return to Iran. “The U.S. will take them if you won’t,” Trump wrote.
Hours later, following what sources described as a late-night phone call with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Trump posted again, giving credit to the Australian leaders for moving quickly and confirming that five players had already been taken care of.
Iranian officials pushed back, with First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref dismissing the entire situation as “psychological warfare” and insisting Iran “welcomes its children with open arms.”
Iran’s football federation formally asked international soccer governing bodies to investigate Trump’s “direct political interference in football,” warning that the conduct could jeopardize the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in June with Dallas as a host city.
As of Wednesday, the six women who remain in Australia were relocated to a new secure site after one of the original seven reversed her asylum decision and was allegedly advised by teammates to contact the Iranian embassy – inadvertently revealing their location.
Burke confirmed that the remaining six will receive permanent residency without a legal fight, along with housing, health care, and other support services.
The Dallas Express will continue tracking the team and provide updates on the players and staff.
