In a significant escalation of diplomatic tension, federal agents arrested the niece and grandniece of the late Iranian General Qasem Soleimani on Saturday.
The arrests followed a decisive move by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to terminate their lawful permanent resident status.
The State Department identified the detainees as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter. Officials confirmed that both individuals are now being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a formal media note, the State Department declared, “Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement” after their green cards were revoked.
Secretary Rubio’s action comes amid accusations that the relatives were using their residences in Los Angeles to promote Iranian regime propaganda.
The government stated that while living in the US, Afshar celebrated attacks against American soldiers and voiced “unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps,” a group the US classifies as a terrorist organization.
The State Department emphasised that the administration “will not allow” individuals with ties to the Iranian regime to benefit from US residency.
Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the country as part of this crackdown.
