Iran’s players saluted while singing the country’s national anthem before their Asian Cup match against hosts Australia, in contrast to the silence at their opening match on Monday.
Before that defeat by South Korea, the Iranian players had stood still, amid the wider context of escalating conflict following air strikes from the United States and Israel on their homeland.
No official explanation has been offered for their differing approaches but on Wednesday, striker Sara Didar spoke emotionally about being separated from their loved ones.
However, Alireza Mohebbi, an Australia-based correspondent for Iran International TV, told the BBC’s partner ABC News, external there was “no doubt” the players were under instruction to sing.
“It’s completely obvious that the Islamic Republic’s regime, and the security team which is with the players in Australia, forced them to sing and do the military salute,” he said.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia well before the air strikes on their country by the US and Israel began last Saturday.
More than 1,100 Iranian civilians are estimated to have been killed according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, external (HRNA).
“No-one likes what’s happening, no-one wants war,” said head coach Marziyeh Jafari.
In the same news conference however, she insisted Iran have “come here to play football”.
A 4-0 defeat by Australia on Thursday means they now must beat Philippines on Sunday to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Their approach to the national anthem has matched that taken by the men’s team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were silent before their first game against England and then sang along before their next match against Wales.
That campaign came against the backdrop of significant domestic protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Before this game, dozens of Iranian-Australians gathered outside the stadium in Gold Coast waving Israeli, Australian and pre-revolution Iranian flags.
