Iranian-born judoka Saeid Mollaei believes members of Iran’s women’s soccer team could be killed or put in prison when they return home after declining to sing the country’s national anthem at the Asian Cup in Australia. - Clipped From Video - Clipped From VideoIranian-born judoka Saeid Mollaei believes members of Iran’s women’s soccer team could be killed or put in prison when they return home after declining to sing the country’s national anthem at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. As an athlete who faced a similar decision in 2019 to those soccer players, Mollaei, an Olympic silver medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Games, is concerned for their safety. Delivering a message in Persian during the interview, Mollaei called the country’s soccer players “heroes.”“Heroes die once, but cowards die every day,” he said. It comes as doubts continue to persist over whether Iran’s men’s national soccer team will compete at this summer’s World Cup.

Source: CNN March 18, 2026 17:01 UTC