During a recent appearance on Iranian television, midfielder Fatemah Shaban recounted her experience with authorities, who posed a series of peculiar inquiries in an apparent attempt to change her mind about returning to her family in their conflict-stricken homeland.

“They were asking a lot of unusual questions, seemingly hoping I might express doubt or hesitation about going back,” Shaban explained.

She continued, “They kept repeating these types of questions.”

Shaban recounted one officer’s offer, saying, “‘Do you want to call your family? You can reach out to them right now and decide if you want to stay or not.'”

Upon hearing this, Shaban immediately responded through the translator, insisting, “Tell him I don’t want to stay; anyone who wanted to stay would have already done so.”

She concluded by saying, “I didn’t even let him continue his line of questioning. I simply stated, ‘I want to return to Iran.'”

“Right then, I got a bad feeling in my heart; I was a bit scared because I really wanted to go back to Iran—I wanted to go to my family, my homeland.”

The statements come as members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team were greeted with a welcome ceremony upon their return to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia.

Shaban said she is happy to be back in Iran, saying the nation is her homeland.

People in the crowd waved flags while some of the players held bouquets and signed what appeared to be mini-soccer balls.

Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.

Others who initially sought asylum after the team was knocked out of the Women’s Asian Cup later changed their minds and said they would return to Iran.

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