Iranian women’s football team: New claim emerges over safe house being infiltrated by staffer to return home

Fresh claims have emerged about how a support staff member to the Iran women’s soccer team could have infiltrated the safe house and played a role in convincing players to return home.

Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, also known as Fleur, is credited as a logistics manager for the national women’s team but she has also been described as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard infiltrator.

The team were offered humanitarian visas to stay in Australia after there were fears of persecution if they returned to Iran.

Ms Meshkehkar and several of the national team’s players applied for asylum in Australia after the team was bundled out of the Asian Cup tournament earlier this month, however the new claims reveal this could have been a decision made in order to convince the players to return to Iran.

The group were initially sent to the same safe house after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed off on humanitarian visas allowing them to extend their stay in Australia.

In a video published Monday, The Sports Ambassador writer and podcast host Tracey Holmes claimed Ms Meshkehkar had convinced Iranian players to withdraw their claims for asylum.

“She (Ms Meshkehkar) was taken into the safe house then its location was compromised because the Iran embassy in Canberra was given details as to its location. They were all then moved,” she said.

“She then withdrew her own asylum claim, along with three other players, who had allegedly been shown videos and audio recordings of their family members who’d been detained by the revolutionary guards.”

All but two of the footballers have since reneged on their asylum claims and departed Australia.