US authorities arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter in Los Angeles after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their green cards. According to a statement released by the State Department on Saturday, both women are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending removal from the country.
Key Takeaways
US authorities arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, niece of slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter after revoking their green cards. The State Department accused them of supporting Iran's regime and celebrating attacks against US forces. This follows similar actions against another Iranian family.
Afshar and her daughter were accused of supporting Iran's regime and celebrating attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East. The Trump administration also barred Afshar’s husband from entering the US, according to The Guardian. The State Department alleged that Afshar promoted Iranian regime propaganda on social media while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles.
Gen Soleimani was killed in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term. He was widely considered Iran's most powerful military commander at the time, heading the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The State Department said Afshar had voiced unflinching support for the IRGC and denounced America as the 'Great Satan'.
In addition to Afshar and her family, the Trump administration also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of a former senior Iranian official, and her husband. Both have since departed the US and are under a permanent entry ban.
The arrests come amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking credit for the decision to revoke Afshar's green card. According to Al Jazeera, Rubio cited Afshar’s comments as the reason for her and her daughter’s arrest. The case has raised questions about free speech rights in the US and the extent to which family members should be punished for their relations.
The State Department described Soleimani Afshar as “an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran”. It added that such speech would not be tolerated under US President Donald Trump. However, Iranian media quoted Soleimani’s daughter, Zeinab Soleimani, as issuing a denial that the two women arrested had any ties whatsoever to the late Quds Force leader.
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