Donald Trump has urged Australia to avoid ‘a terrible humanitarian mistake’ by potentially allowing the Iranian women’s soccer team to return to their home country.
Trump’s comments come amid uncertainty over the players’ future after they were branded ‘traitors’ by Iranian media for refusing to sing the national anthem before a game against South Korea at the Asian Cup last week, which is being hosted in Australia.
Then, one of the Iranian players could be seen performing the international SOS distress signal from inside the team bus after a lost game on Sunday that ended their involvement in the tournament. According to reports, she tucked her thumb into her palm and folded her fingers down over it – the recognized sign that someone is pleading for help.
Update: Five Iranian footballers ‘in Australian safe house’ after Asian Cup protest
