No official explanation was provided for their initial position.
Iran’s women’s team sang the national anthem and gave a military salute before their final group match at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia on Sunday, after having remained silent during their opening game earlier in the tournament.
In their first match against South Korea women’s national football team on Monday, the Iranian players stood motionless and did not sing the anthem, a gesture that drew widespread attention amid the ongoing United States–Israel war on Iran and the broader political situation.
No official explanation was given for the team’s earlier silence, although their subsequent performances of the anthem in later matches have been closely watched by supporters and observers
In their second group match on Thursday against hosts Australia, all Iranian players saluted and sang the national anthem on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
They repeated the gesture against the Philippines on Sunday, performing the anthem and salute despite heavy rain at the Gold Coast.
No official explanation was provided for their initial silence. However, coach Marziyeh Jafari explained that the team had “so much concern” for their families amid the ongoing conflict and felt “fully disconnected” from their loved ones.
On the results front, Iran suffered a 3-0 defeat to South Korea and a 4-0 loss to Australia in the opening two group games.
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