Two relatives of late Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani have been arrested in the United States, according to officials.
The United States Department of State said Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were taken into custody after their permanent residency status was revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Authorities said the two are currently being held by immigration officials and may face deportation.
However, Soleimani’s daughter, Narjes Soleimani, has strongly rejected the claims, insisting that the women have no connection to her father and describing the allegations as false.
According to U.S. officials, Soleimani Afshar first entered the country on a tourist visa in 2015 and was later granted asylum in 2019 before obtaining a green card in 2021. Her daughter followed a similar path, arriving on a student visa and later receiving asylum and permanent residency.
Authorities also alleged that Soleimani Afshar made several trips back to Iran after being granted asylum, raising questions about the validity of her application. They further accused her of promoting content supportive of the Iranian government online.
The case has added another layer of tension to already strained relations between the U.S. and Iran, especially as global attention remains fixed on ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
General Qasem Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s military operations, was killed in a 2020 U.S. airstrike in Baghdad ordered by then-President Donald Trump.
