Three more Iranian footballers backflip on decision to stay in Australia

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Three more players from the Iranian women's football team who were granted asylum in Australia over fears for their safety have decided to return home.

The team were branded "traitors" by the Islamic regime when they refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before their Asian Cup game on the Gold Coast against South Korea following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

The federal government organised humanitarian visas for six members of the team and a support staffer - one of whom later had a change of heart and decided to return to Iran.

READ MORE: Iran directly threatens neighbouring country for first time in three week war

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said three more have similarly reversed their decision overnight and will join the rest of their team to return to Iran.

"After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options," he said in a statement this morning.

"While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions.

"The Australian government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia.

"Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them."

READ MORE: Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply

The five footballers were granted humanitarian visas overnight.

Burke and his department travelled to Brisbane to speak with the women separately via a translator and learned that an initial six players and a staff member wanted to remain in Australia.

They were moved to a secret location by the Australian Federal Police and, hours later, granted humanitarian visas.

The group had to be immediately moved after one of the women gave away the location when she made the decision to return with the rest of the group to Iran.

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