New Delhi: Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, niece of the late leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter are in American custody after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated their permanent resident status Friday.
“Last night, the niece and grandniece of deceased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status,” the US State Department said in a statement Saturday.
“Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As identified by both press reporting and her own social media commentary, Soleimani Afshar is an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran.”
Major General Qasem Soleimani was the long-time head of the IRGC and was key to its expansion across West Asia, including through support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Soleimani was killed in Iraq in 2020 in a US air strike ordered by President Donald Trump during his first term. The killing came after attacks on US personnel in Iraq.
Soleimani’s niece and grandniece had US green cards until Friday. The American government has accused Afshar of promoting “Iranian regime propaganda” and celebrating attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the region.
“Afshar Soleimani pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account,” said the state department.
“In addition to the termination of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter’s LPR status, Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the United States.”
Last week, the US also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, the daughter of Ali Larijani, deceased head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, as well as her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Both Fatemeh and Seyed have been barred from entry to the US.
Larijani, one of the most visible leaders of Iran, was killed in an air strike last month.
“The Trump administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” the US State Department said.
The US, along with Israel, has been engaged in open conflict with Iran since the last day of February this year. The five-week war has engulfed West Asia, with Tehran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz—the waterway that channels the flow of almost a fifth of global oil supply.
Iran Friday claimed to have shot down a US fighter jet and an A10 Warthog subsonic aircraft. Two of the three pilots are reported to have been rescued by the US, while both Washington and Tehran are searching for the third pilot.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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