After not singing the national anthem before their opening game, the Iran players sang and saluted before playing Australia and the Philippines. The Iran women's football team became "heroes" when they declined to sing the country's national anthem at the Asian Cup, says former Iran men's head coach Afshin Ghotbi.

Iran's players were silent for the anthem in their opening match against South Korea on 2 March. It came amid the wider context of escalating conflict following strikes by the United States and Israel on their homeland since 28 February. Iran has launched missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries which host US military bases - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

During weeks of anti-government protests in Iran in December and January, at least 7,000 protesters were killed in an unprecedented crackdown by security forces, according to human rights groups. Some Iranians hoped the recent military attacks on the country's leadership would lead to a swift regime change, but doubts have since been raised about that prospect.

The Iran players sang and saluted during the anthem in their following matches against tournament hosts Australia and the Philippines. "Imagine the pressure," a tearful Ghotbi said, speaking to BBC Sport. "You want to compete at your best, but then before even the game starts you have to decide how you're going to stand, how you're going to look and what you're going to do. I just think that's so unfair."

Ghotbi said he saw something similar with the Iran men's team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "The players were confused about what to do," he said. "If they salute and sing the national anthem, they are embraced and endeared by the government. If they do that, the fans, the Iranian people hate them."

The difficult challenges facing the Iranian women's footballers included differing approaches that led to speculation they had been forced to take part in the anthem by government officials accompanying them during the tournament as part of the delegation. The team had been due to fly home after their elimination from the tournament, but concerns about their safety emerged when footage of a state TV host emerged calling them "traitors" who ought to be punished for refusing to sing the anthem.

"These women... have become symbolic, they become heroes," said Ghotbi, who managed Iran's men's team between 2009 and 2011. "Everyone around the world will be following up and how they're treated and what's going to happen to them, so I hope that politicians on all sides just leave them alone and let them live their lives."

On Monday, five members of the team were granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia, while the remaining players flew out of the country on Tuesday night. "All people deserve freedom. They deserve the basics in life. And I think that's what these women are fighting for. They want to be free. They want to be allowed to be who they want to be. And we should allow them," Ghotbi added.

Inside the Australian hotel where Iranian footballers escaped to claim asylum, Ghotbi commented on Iran's participation in the men's 2026 World Cup, which has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February. On Thursday of this week, US president Donald Trump said Iran are "welcome" at the World Cup but that it is not "appropriate" for them to be there "for their own life and safety".

Trump's comments came after Iran's Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali said his country was not in a position to participate at the tournament, which is being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June.

"I would be devastated to see Iran [not compete] after having worked so hard to qualify for the fourth time in a row," said Ghotbi, who was born in Iran but moved to the United States with his father when he was 13 years old. "All the players say that is their dream to be there, to play in the World Cup.

"The fans, if they're denied the opportunity to play in Los Angeles in front of so many Iranians that live there, and being one of those Iranians that lived there for many years... it's a dream to see your national team of place of birth, play in front of you, in the country that you're a citizen of or a resident of."

Ghotbi has fond memories of a friendly between Iran and the United States - a match designed to bring the two estranged countries together - which was played in front of 50,181 fans at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 2000. "I was in the stadium, and the Rose Bowl was packed, and I would say 85% of the fans were Iranians, and they had flags of USA and Iran in their faces," Ghotbi said.

"They brought roses for symbol of peace to the stadium, and it was amazing, it was absolutely amazing. "I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes of just being proud of the fact that the game has this power."

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