“I was advised that one of the two who had made the decision to stay last night had spoken to some of the teammates who had left and had changed her mind. We respect the context in which she has made that decision. Unfortunately, in making that decision, she’d been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian Embassy and to get collected. My officials made sure that this was her decision and every question you would want asked was asked.

Source: International New York Times March 11, 2026 15:42 UTC