Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested the niece and grandniece of the deceased Iranian figure Gen. Qasem Soleimani were taken into custody by US authorities, announced the State Department on Saturday.
Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the infamous Iranian Revolutionary Guard, was assassinated in a drone strike authorized by President Donald Trump close to the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq in 2020.
Who is Hamideh Soleimani Afshar?
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, who enjoy an extravagant lifestyle in Los Angeles, were apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday, as the US intensifies efforts to revoke Green Cards for foreign nationals connected to Iran amid ongoing tensions with the regime.
Why has ICE arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter?
According to the State Department, Hamideh Soleimani advocated for the propaganda of the Iranian regime, commended assaults on American military personnel and installations in the Middle East, lauded the newly appointed Iranian Supreme Leader
“While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the ‘Great Satan,’ and voiced her unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization,” a letter from the State Department states.
Afshar’s husband barred from entering US
In addition to the revocation of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter’s LPR status, Afshar’s husband has also been prohibited from entering the United States.
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani’s legal status revoked
The move comes after State Secretary Marco Rubio also revoked the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, along with her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Both Ardeshir-Larijani and Motamedi are no longer present in the US and are prohibited from future entry.
The U.S. Department of State expresses its gratitude to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their ongoing partnership and collaboration in ensuring the safety of Americans.
“The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” the State Department said.
