Iran women’s team refuses to sing national anthem before Asian Cup opener, sources say

The Iran women’s national soccer team refused to sing while their national anthem played before their Asian Cup opener against South Korea at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, Fox News Digital reported Monday.

The players stood in line, looking straight ahead and largely motionless as the anthem played, the report said. South Korea won the match 3-0, and applause followed the final whistle, according to Fox News Digital.

Iran’s manager, Marziyeh Jafari, was seen smiling from the sidelines as the players remained silent, the report said. The team’s captain, Zahra Ghanbari, and Jafari were later asked about the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; an Asian Football Confederation media representative cut off Jafari’s response without translating it, ESPN reported.

Fox News Digital said the silence came amid reports of U.S.-Israeli strikes that it said killed Khamenei and of subsequent Iranian missile and drone strikes on Israel and regional countries, including Bahrain and Qatar. The report quoted President Donald Trump warning that any heavy Iranian retaliation would be met with an unprecedented response.

The Iranian Football Federation’s president, Mehdi Taj, told the sports site Varzesh3 that the attacks had dimmed hopes for the team’s World Cup campaign, Fox News Digital reported. FIFA said it would monitor the situation, and Iran has observed a 40-day mourning period while still competing at the Asian Cup, the report said. The Israel Gymnastics Federation also said it had suspended training because of security disruptions, and Fox News Digital reported that airstrikes in the region killed at least eight Israelis near Beit Shemesh.

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