The Iranian team arrived in Australia well before the air strikes on their country by the US and Israel began last Saturday.
More than 1,100 Iranian civilians are estimated to have been killed according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, external (HRNA).
“No-one likes what’s happening, no-one wants war,” said head coach Marziyeh Jafari.
In the same news conference however, she insisted Iran have “come here to play football”.
A 4-0 defeat by Australia on Thursday means they now must beat Philippines on Sunday to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Their approach to the national anthem has matched that taken by the men’s team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were silent before their first game against England and then sang along before their next match against Wales.
That campaign came against the backdrop of significant domestic protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Before this game, dozens of Iranian-Australians gathered outside the stadium in Gold Coast waving Israeli, Australian and pre-revolution Iranian flags.
