Iranian women's soccer team flies out of Australia - but more stay

The remainder of the Iranian women's soccer team have departed Sydney for the Middle East - but it's understood more team members have been granted asylum.

Trouble for the women began last Monday, March 2, when they refused to sing Iran's national anthem before a match against South Korea on the Gold Coast during the Asia Cup - just days after the conflict between the US and Iran broke out.

Australia offered the teammates humanitarian visas after word of their protest reached Iran, triggering major backlash. 

One conservative commentator in Iran labelled the group 'wartime traitors' and called for harsh punishment, fuelling fears the women would be persecuted if they returned home.

Five players accepted the visa offer soon after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke visited their Gold Coast hotel. The five women split with the rest of the team, who travelled to Sydney on Tuesday evening to catch a flight out of the country.

Daily Mail understands one player and one procurement manager have since accepted asylum and did not board the Malaysia Airlines plane when it left at about 10.45pm Tuesday, following a lengthy delay at the gate. 

'The situation for these individuals is that they had to make their own decision about their lives,' Burke told reporters on Tuesday night.

'I understand completely that Australians want to help. People kept saying publicly, ‘Can’t you just make sure at some point they’re away from it?’

'What we could do was make sure they were away from anyone connected to the Iranian authorities so they could make the phone calls they wanted. 

'They could be told there was an offer. And if they wanted to reach us, they could do exactly that.

Burke praised the work of Home Affairs officials who have worked with the players in recent days. 

'They were there in that situation face to face with women dealing with challenges that are extraordinary,' he said.

'I couldn't be prouder of the officials. But as I say, what mattered was that a choice was given and that it was given in a true situation of there being no pressure.

'I respect all the comments and concerns that people have had, as there's been protests around people being moved off and on buses.

'But what I want to say is that people going through had an opportunity with a Home Affairs official and no pressure around them to make their own decision.

'And I respect their independence and agency with whatever decision they choose.

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'If people wanted to stay and keep talking and miss their plane, they could. There was no time pressure.'

Defection numbers will likely rise with Burke expected to provide further details on Wednesday.

The minister confirmed that some players had been in contact with the families back home,  

'I haven't been here for each and every conversation but I do know of specific instances where people have spoken to family members, where people have been on the phone,' he said.

'Sometimes there's been a flurry back and forth trying to find the right number, and the numbers have been found and the conversations have happened.

'And people know how Australia's position has been: if you want to stay and wait, you can stay and wait, but it's up to you. People have made their own decision and I think you have to respect that.'

A number of players were 'tearful' and embraced one another as they boarded the flight, while anti-regime protesters at Sydney Airport broke into cheers on hearing that more members of the squad had sought asylum. 

Concerns had also been raised after footage emerged on Tuesday of one player being dragged by the hand to leave their Gold Coast hotel. 

A group of Iranians living in Australia claimed there has been immense pressure for the women to return to Iran. 

While confined to a hotel in Brisbane and under the watch of officials from the Islamic Republic, one team member reportedly responded to a message from the group and claimed 'they have taken all our families hostage,' The Australian reported.

That pressure was seemingly on display when protesters gathered outside the team's hotel in hopes of stopping their bus from reaching Gold Coast Airport.

Witnesses recalled seeing staff dragging teammates onto the bus.

Extra Australian Federal Police officers as well as government officials were stationed at the airport to support the women in case they decided to accept the humanitarian visas at the last minute.

Alongside them were demonstrators urging the women to stay in Australia.  

The team and their staff touched down in Sydney about 8.15pm on a flight from the Gold Coast and disembarked behind all other passengers about 8.30pm.

They were accompanied by 12 AFP officers onto a waiting bus.

Passenger Courtnee, who was on the team's flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney, said the players had boarded the Qantas flight first.

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She told Daily Mail that many travellers were touched by the flight's 'beautiful atmosphere', created in part by the captain's touching tribute to the players.

'The captain made a really beautiful announcement about how important it is we look after each other and the situation in the world at the moment,' Courtnee said through tears.

'The mood on the plane was really nice, everyone applauded the pilot and everyone was nice and really great.' 

The players were 'keeping composed, keeping together' in the first few rows of economy seating.

'People waved goodbye, said things. I said "I wish you the best luck with your lives",' Courtnee said.

A total of 14 heavily-armed police officers - eight women and six men - waited alongside the team for their international flight.

It's understood their first leg is an eight-and-a-half-hour trip to Kuala Lumpur. 

The flight, MH140, had been due to take off at 10.15pm but was delayed.

It's understood players Gooloosh Khosravi and Mohadeseh Zolfi, both in their early 20s, were not on the plane and had taken up the visa offer along with a team procurement manager, Fleur Meshkin-Kar. 

The five players earlier granted asylum have been identified as Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi.

Minister Burke gave a press conference at Sydney Airport after the plane left in which he said each player was given time alone with a Home Affairs official, away from minders on the team, to discuss if they wanted to stay in Australia.

'A choice was given and it was in a situation where there was no pressure,' he said. 

'I respect the comments and concerns people have had with the protests around... but before they got on that plane each of them had an oppourtunity to make their own decision and I respect their decision.'