Iran’s women’s soccer team deflects questions on Khamenei killing at Asian Cup

Iran Women’s Soccer Team Deflects Political Questions Ahead of Asian Cup Opener

Iran’s women’s national soccer team arrived at a pre-match press conference on Sunday at Gold Coast Stadium with the weight of a geopolitical crisis at their backs — and a determined focus on football.

Only three questions were taken at the briefing with coach Marziyeh Jafari and captain Zahra Ghanbari ahead of Monday’s Group A opener against South Korea at the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. When a journalist asked Jafari about her feelings regarding the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the coach responded in Farsi before an AFC media official quickly intervened without translating her answer. “OK I think that’s all for your question. Thank you for asking. Let’s just focus on the game itself,” the official said, according to PerthNow.perthnow

A Team Caught Between War and Competition

Khamenei was killed on February 28 in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike targeting his compound in Tehran, according to NPR. The strikes, part of a broader military operation, have triggered Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases across the Gulf and on Israel. The Middle East remains on high alert, and the Asian Football Confederation has postponed AFC Champions League matches in the West Region in response to the escalating conflict.dw

Iran’s 26-player squad had arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes. The team has also had to prepare amid a wave of anti-government protests in Tehran, which have been met with violent crackdowns. Both Jafari and Ghanbari played down concerns about their preparation. “In Iran, we had players that were playing in the league and they were prepared by the league competitions,” Jafari said through a translator. “Here we had two or three full training sessions and I hope that tomorrow we can show you a very nice match”.yahoo

Eyes on the World Cup

For the world No. 68-ranked team, the tournament carries stakes beyond continental pride. The Asian Cup doubles as qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with quarterfinalists securing berths. Captain Ghanbari made clear where the team’s focus lies. “We really want to qualify for the World Cup and we know that Korea, Australia and the Philippines are tough games here,” she said.the-ffiri

This is only Iran’s second appearance at the Women’s Asian Cup. At their debut in India in 2022, the team suffered heavy defeats against China and Chinese Taipei but returned home as national figures in a country where women’s rights remain severely curtailed. Jafari said the tournament offered a chance to showcase “the potential of Iranian women”. The 12-team competition opened Sunday with hosts Australia facing the Philippines at Perth Stadium.abc