US arrests niece, grandniece of slain Iranian commander Soleimani
The niece and grandniece of slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents in the United States on Friday, the State Department said.
“Last night, the niece and grand niece 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 status,” the State Department said.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, the statement said.
“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,” it added.
In addition to revoking their residency, Afshar’s husband has been barred from entering the United States, the statement said.
“While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East,” the statement said.
The administration “will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” it added.
Earlier this month, Rubio also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, and her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, the statement said.
Both Ardeshir-Larijani and Motamedi are no longer in the United States and are barred from future entry, it added.
