Iranian authorities have released a statement about the women’s soccer team after five members were granted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia.

The prosecutor-general’s office said the women had acted under “emotional imbalance” and could return to their homeland with “peace and confidence”.

“Some members of our hardworking women’s soccer team, who are children of this soil, have unintentionally and under emotional imbalance provoked by the enemy’s conspiracies, behaved in a way that caused the delusional excitement of U.S.-Israeli criminal leaders,” the statement said.

“Since the loving embrace of the authorities and the noble people of Islamic Iran are open to these children and understand their special circumstances, these cherished individuals are invited to return to their homeland with peace and confidence.”

The women who sought asylum in Australia are in their 30s and 20s.