In brief
The niece and grand-niece of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani have been arrested in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that their lawful permanent resident status was revoked, claiming they were outspoken supporters of the Iranian regime. The arrests occur amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, following Soleimani's death in a US airstrike in 2020.
The niece and grand-niece of the deceased commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Gen Qasem Soleimani, have been arrested, the State Department has said.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter's lawful US permanent resident status was revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a statement released on Saturday said.
In a post on social media, Rubio said the two women were in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), pending removal from the country.
Gen Soleimani, who was Iran's most powerful military commander, was killed in 2020 in a US air strike in Iraq which was ordered by then US President Donald Trump.
The State Department described Soleimani Afshar as an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran and noted that she had promoted Iranian regime propaganda on her social media account.
Soleimani Afshar's husband has also been barred from the US, with Rubio sharing a statement claiming the family was living lavishly in the United States.
Gen Qasem Soleimani spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East as head of Iran's elite Quds Force and was killed at Baghdad airport, along with other Iran-backed militia figures.
