Over the weekend, State Secretary Marco Rubio and the U.S. State Department announced the arrest of the niece and grandniece of the deceased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Military Officer, Qasem Soleimani.
In a post on X, Secretary Rubio revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter following the termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, also known as “green cards.”
“Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan,’” Secretary Rubio announced.
The State Department’s Office of the Spokesperson published a media note on the State Department’s website confirming the detention of both Afshar and her daughter.
The press release details Afshar’s public support for the Islamic Republic, revealing that, “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… and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization.”
The media note shared that Afshar would promote Iranian propaganda “while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles,” citing her recently deleted Instagram account as proof of the matter.
The State Department also announced that it had banned Afshar’s husband from entering the U.S.
According to the press release, earlier this month, Secretary Rubio also terminated the legal status of the daughter of the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran and her husband, barring them from future entry.
“The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” both Secretary Rubio and the Office of the Spokesperson asserted, respectively.
Previously, Investigative Journalist, Laura Loomer reported Afhsar's social media presence and actions to both DHS and the State Department, revealing the news on a social media post via X.
