Iran vice president rejects Trump’s claims on women footballers, says ‘games’ cannot divide country
Iran’s First Vice President has rejected comments by US President Donald Trump regarding members of Iran’s women’s national football team, describing the statements as "psychological warfare" aimed at dividing the Iranian nation.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mohammad Reza Aref responded directly to Trump’s social media posts, which claimed that the players would face persecution or death if they returned to Iran.
He emphasized that “Iran welcomes its children with open arms, and the government guarantees their security.”
Aref added, “No one has the right to interfere in the family affairs of the Iranian nation or play the role of a kinder guardian than the mother."
The Vice President stated that Trump has repeatedly shown, especially during the ongoing conflict, that he has no concern other than "pressure and hostility toward the Iranian people."
Aref asserted that such actions would not succeed in creating divisions within the country.
“Trump and his Zionist supporters should know that with these games, they cannot create a rift between the Iranian nation and their country,” he said.
The comments follow reports that five members of Iran’s women’s football team applied for asylum in Australia, citing "fears of persecution" after initially refusing to sing the national anthem before an Asian Cup match.
The players did, however, salute and sing the anthem in subsequent games.
Trump publicly urged Australian authorities to accept their asylum applications, claiming they would “most likely be killed” if returned to Iran.
Less than two hours later, he posted that Australia had approved the requests but alleged the remaining team members felt compelled to return due to "threats to those family members if they don't return."
He did not offer evidence for these claims.
While the Australian government offered the rest of the delegation the opportunity to file for asylum, no further players accepted.
Iranian officials have frequently accused the US and its allies of efforts to undermine national unity amid their maximum pressure campaign on the country.
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