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Iran's women's football team saluted its national anthem before their Asia Cup match on Thursday morning – just three days after refusing to sing it.
The squad made headlines on Monday evening when the Mehr-e Khavaran anthem was played ahead of kick-off against South Korea in Queensland, Australia, only to be met by silence by its players.
But in a change in stance, the team gestured a military salute while some joined in with the singing before their 4-0 defeat.
Sources close to Australian TV network SBS have reportedly claimed the Iranian side have been under very strict surveillance during the tournament and were "monitored the whole time".
In a press conference before the Australia fixture, Iranian striker Sara Didar became visibly emotional and shared concerns for the safety and well-being of their families and loved ones amid the conflict in the Middle East.
The 21-year-old started as a substitute for Thursday's game on the Gold Coast, where Iran is scheduled to compete in all three of its Group A matches.
Before Monday's 3-0 defeat to South Korea, Iran head coach Marziyeh Jafari was pictured on the sidelines smiling as the anthem was played.
In the press conference before that match, Jafari declined to comment on the military strikes or the death of her country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the squad needed to keep their focus on the tournament.
She said: "We shouldn’t be talking about these issues at all now. Right now, the team is in a very important competition that holds great rights for women […] next question."
🚨 Iran salute and sing anthem
The women's national football team made global headlines after not singing along during their opening Asian Cup fixture ⚽️
Now, they sang along and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their second match 🫡 pic.twitter.com/PIWBgtjXVG— DW Sports (@dw_sports) March 5, 2026
Tracey Holmes wrote on X: "None of the Iranian players, nor the coach, sang the national anthem ahead of their match at the Women's Asian Cup on the Gold Coast, despite being instructed to do so before they left Iran so as not to embarrass the regime.
"They have obviously taken strength from events unfolding in their country.'
The conflict in the Middle East entered its sixth day on Thursday.
It comes after over 140 crew members went missing after an Iranian warship was sunk by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The Iranian warship, the 180-crew frigate IRIS Dena 75, was hit and sunk by the US submarine on Monday, Director of War Pete Hegseth confirmed in a press conference from The Pentagon.
