Iran's footballers have been threatened with punishment for posing for "selfies" with female fans who have flocked to see them play in Australia.

The team are playing in the Asian Cup finals, and their games have been attended by thousands of Australia's expatriate Iranian community.

Sport and in particular football has a large following in Iran. The sex segregation rules that prevent women attending men's games at home do not apply abroad.

Nor do Iran's dress codes for women, so that officials back home have been alarmed to see photographs appearing on social media of celebrity players posing with Iranian women dressed for the Australian summer.