US Detains Relatives of Iranian Commander Qasem Soleimani

Detention of Soleimani's Relatives

According to a statement from the State Department, US authorities have apprehended two family members of the deceased Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani. The individuals, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday. This action is part of a larger initiative to assess the immigration status of foreign nationals believed to have connections to Iran.

General Soleimani, who commanded Iran's Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020, an operation authorized by former President Donald Trump. The State Department's statement indicated that Afshar had been promoting Iranian government propaganda while residing in the US. It also accused her of endorsing attacks on US military personnel and showing support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Washington.

US officials further noted that both Afshar and her daughter's lawful permanent resident statuses have been revoked, and her husband has been denied entry into the United States. This action follows a previous decision by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revoke the legal status of another Iranian national, Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of a former senior Iranian security official, along with her spouse. Both individuals are currently outside the US and have been barred from re-entering. The State Department emphasized its collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, asserting that the administration will not permit individuals deemed supporters of hostile regimes to remain in the country.