Sri Lanka, March 9 -- President Donald Trump said he would grant asylum to Iranian women's soccer players who fled their team's hotel during the Women's Asian Cup in Australia.

"Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman's Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don't do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won't," he said on Truth Social.

Trump's post comes amid growing calls to block the players' exit from Australia for fear of persecution in Iran. Before their first match last week, the players stood silent during the Iranian national anthem, a gesture they didn't explain but one that was interpreted by some hardliners in...