President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to demand the safety of the Iranian women's national soccer team, raising the alarm that the players would "most likely be killed" if they had to return to Iran after they remained silent during the country's national anthem at the Asian Cup.

The president said in a post on Truth Social that he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose country hosted the soccer competition, after Trump publicly pushed the country to protect Iranian players.

“I just spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese regarding the Iranian women’s national soccer team. He’s on board with that!” Trump said. “Five of them have already been treated and the others are on their way. However, some feel they need to return because they are concerned about the safety of their families, including threats to family members if they don’t return.”

“However, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job in dealing with this very delicate situation,” Trump continued. “God bless Australia!”

In an earlier tweet on Monday morning, Trump was more critical of the Australian government, suggesting the country was not doing enough to protect the Iranian team and vowing that the US would accept the players if Australia did not grant them asylum.

“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iranian women’s national soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed,” Trump said in a previous post on Truth Social. “Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, grant them ASYLUM. The US will take them if you don’t want to.”

The soccer team traveled to Australia last month for the Women's Asian Cup. On Sunday, the team lost its final group game against the Philippines, meaning they would not advance to the tournament and would be eliminated from the country. The team's head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, told the Australian Associated Press that the team members "want to return to Iran as soon as possible," according to the Associated Press.

But The Athletic reported that five members of the team have defected and are in a safe house under the supervision of the Australian Federal Police. According to individuals with knowledge of the operation who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity, Australian authorities helped the five players leave their hotel on Monday, following the team's loss to the Philippines.

Iran and the surrounding region have been mired in war since February 28, when the US and Israel launched a wave of military strikes against Iran. Last week, the Iranian women’s soccer team stood silent during the playing of their national anthem before their opening match against South Korea. Iranian state media criticized the players for the action, calling them “wartime traitors,” according to The Athletic. The team did not specify a reason for their silence during the anthem, and the players sang the anthem in their next two games.

Criticism of the players for their silence during the national anthem has raised concerns about their safety. The Australian-Iranian Council launched an online petition, which had gathered more than 74,000 signatures by Monday, urging Australian officials to “ensure that no member of the Iranian women’s national football team leaves Australia while credible fears for their safety remain” and “ensure that any player who wishes to seek protection can do so safely, privately and without interference from officials or coaches associated with the regime.”

“When there is credible evidence that visiting athletes may face persecution, imprisonment, coercion or worse upon return, silence is not a neutral stance,” the petition states. “The current wartime environment has intensified the repression, fear and dangers faced by anyone publicly perceived by the Islamic Republic as disloyal and ‘traitor.’”