Australian police removed five Iranian women's football players from their team hotel before granting them asylum, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced via Facebook on March 10.

The plight of the girls is among the most closely watched human-interest stories to emerge from the Israeli war with Iran.

The five players, including team captain Zahra Ghanbari, had sought protection after the squad was denounced as "wartime traitors" on Iranian state television IRIB for refusing to sing the national anthem before an Asian Cup match. The players were seen in a subsequent match saluting the dead, but at that point, pressure from Tehran was mounting on the women. 

The players granted asylum were Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Mona Hamoudi and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, all in their early 30s, as well as 21-year-old Fatemeh Pasandideh.

The women were reportedly writing "help" signs on their official buses, with large crowds trying to pull them off, but their coaches refused to let them off. 

The Australian Federal Police moved the five to a safe location on March 9, where they remain under protection with no contact with their families in Tehran due to internet restrictions in that country.

Burke told a press conference that talks with the players had been ongoing for several days and that Australia had deployed its own officers to protect the women even before their defection.

"Last night I was able to tell five women from the Iranian Women’s Soccer team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, to be safe and have a home here," Burke said on his Facebook page.

The minister acknowledged that not returning to Iran had been a difficult decision and said it remained possible that not every member of the Iranian squad would choose to seek asylum, despite the offer remaining open.

"Even though the offer continues to be there for other members of the team, it is quite possible and indeed likely that not every woman in the team will make a decision to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer to them," Burke said.

The offer comes as US President Donald Trump urged the Australian government to provide protection for the women following the football tournament in the country. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the offer of protection for the other players remains on the table from the Canberra government.