ISLAMABAD: US authorities have arrested the niece and grandniece of Qasem Soleimani after their legal residency status was revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to an official statement.
The US State Department said the arrests took place on Saturday night, when federal agents detained Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter after their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status was terminated. Both are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States.
Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 4, 2026
“Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As identified by both press reports and her own social media commentary, Soleimani Afshar is an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran,” the statement said.
Authorities alleged that while living in the United States, Afshar promoted Iranian government narratives and expressed support for attacks against American military targets. The statement further claimed she praised Iran’s leadership, criticised the United States, and openly backed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Afshar Soleimani pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posts on her recently deleted Instagram account,” it added.
The State Department also confirmed that Afshar’s husband has been barred from entering the US. Separately, it said the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of Ali Larijani, and her husband had also been revoked earlier this month. Both have since left the country and are banned from re-entry.
“The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” the statement said.
In a post on X, Rubio said: “This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status, and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States.”
Soleimani, a senior commander of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in a US air strike near Baghdad airport on 3 January 2020.
