Key Points
- Relatives of Qassem Soleimani detained, face deportation
- Iran claims the detainees have no links with Qassem Soleimani family.
- Action authorised by Marco Rubio this week
- Additional Iranian academic and spouse had visas cancelled
- Earlier expulsions included staff at United Nations mission
- US cites support for anti-American activities as key reason
WASHINGTON: The administration of Donald Trump has revoked the visas and green cards of several Iranian nationals with alleged links to the government in Iran, intensifying pressure amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
According to the US State Department, at least four individuals have lost their legal status in the United States, with two already detained by immigration authorities and facing deportation.
The decision was authorised by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who determined that the individuals were no longer eligible to reside in or enter the country, according to AP.
According to US, among those affected are relatives of Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad in 2020.
His niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and her daughter were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after their green cards were revoked. Authorities confirmed that Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the United States.
However, the Iranian state media and officials have labeled the arrests as “fabricated lies” and “US propaganda” intended to divert attention from American defeats, noting the women in question have no links with Qassem Soleimani’s family.
US officials alleged that the individuals had lived in the country for years while expressing support for the Iranian government and, in some cases, endorsing attacks against American interests.
Rubio stated that Washington would not permit individuals linked to what he described as hostile regimes to benefit from residency in the United States.
In a separate action, the State Department also cancelled visas held by Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an academic and daughter of former Iranian national security adviser Ali Larijani, who was reportedly killed in a recent US-Israeli strike.
Her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, was similarly affected. Officials noted that neither individual is currently in the United States.
These measures follow earlier steps taken in December, when Washington revoked or declined to renew visas for several Iranian diplomats and staff members assigned to United Nations missions.
The State Department said those actions were unrelated to subsequent unrest in Iran or the broader regional conflict, but offered limited details citing privacy and security concerns.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations has not publicly responded to the latest developments.
The visa revocations come as relations between Washington and Tehran remain strained, with both sides engaged in a prolonged period of confrontation across diplomatic and security fronts.
