Rusty Weiss
Iran’s women’s national soccer team refused to sing their national anthem before their AFC Women’s Asian Cup opener against South Korea on Monday night.
Take note, middle-aged white liberal women in the United States—this is true feminism. True bravery and courage. Not, whatever it is you’re protesting these days with your little placards.
As “Mehr-e Khavaran” played over the speakers, the players stood stoically in formation—hands behind their backs, faces forward, and voices absent.
Head coach Marziyeh Jafari watched from the sidelines with what appeared to be a subtle smile in circulating footage.
The media, one would think, should be all over this. This is taking a knee, except it’s actually for a noble cause.
A defying silence
— Throwback Iran (@Tarikh_Eran) March 2, 2026
The Iranian women’s football national team REFUSED to sing the anthem of the Islamic regime.
Side note: By the time their next game comes up, they probably don’t even have to wear those hijabs anymore. pic.twitter.com/YrqJaYpnln
Silent Anthem Protest: Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Stands Defiant Amid Regime Turmoil
The Iranian team took a 3-0 loss to a dominant South Korean side, but that loss was overshadowed by the pre-match silence.
The silent protest comes amid the joint US-Israeli Operation Epic Fury that eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of top regime figures in Iran. It also comes just weeks after the Iranian regime killed well over 35,000 protesters.
It can not be understated how heroic this anthem protest is and what it symbolizes.
The team’s refusal to vocalize the anthem—adopted in 1990 and tied to the Islamic Republic—has been widely interpreted as a powerful, if unspoken, statement of defiance. Even as Tehran has continued to demand national unity and cohesion.
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This act echoes broader tensions for Iranian female athletes, who operate under strict oversight and have historically faced repercussions for even minor displays of nonconformity.
Contrast this with the protests of the United States women’s soccer team, who often took a knee during the American national anthem despite the fact that dissent isn’t met with large-scale executions in this country.
The biggest thing retired soccer star Megan Rapinoe has had to protest of late is a joke that President Trump told the men’s hockey team at the Olympics. She has no true understanding of oppression.
The Iranian women’s soccer team’s seeming act of defiance shows just how far things have come in the last few days alone. In the days leading up to the match, team management abruptly shut down a press conference question about Khamenei’s death.
Coach Jafari later told reporters the squad needed to “focus on the tournament” rather than address the political events. They have opted to take a stand instead.