The US government has revoked the green cards or visas of at least four Iranian nationals connected to the Islamic Republic regime, including the niece and grand-niece of former military leader General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad airport in 2020.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, who was not named, were arrested on Friday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to an official statement. Officials told the Associated Press that they are set to be deported. Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the United States.
Two other individuals targeted in the action this week have not been publicly identified.
Part Of A Wider Policy Move
The action followed a determination by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week that the four individuals were no longer eligible for lawful permanent resident status or entry into the United States.
The move comes after a similar step taken late last year, when visas of several diplomats and staff members at Iran’s mission to the United Nations were revoked.
Allegations Against Afshar
In a statement issued on Saturday, the US State Department said Afshar and her daughter had been living a “lavish lifestyle” in Los Angeles for years while publicly supporting the Iranian government and anti-American attacks. No further details about her profession were disclosed.
Rubio described her as “an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan’,” in a post on X.
“The Trump administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” he added.
No Response From Iran Mission
The Iranian mission to the United Nations had not issued any comment as of Saturday. Iran does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with the United States.
Recent Visa Revocations
Afshar and her daughter are among the latest Iranian nationals to have their legal status in the US revoked.
Recently, the administration also cancelled the visas of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an academic and daughter of Iran’s former national security adviser Ali Larijani, who was killed in a US-Israel airstrike last month.
Her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, also had his visa revoked, the State Department said. Neither is currently in the United States, though their whereabouts remain unclear.
Earlier, in December, the State Department had revoked or declined to renew visas of several Iranian diplomats, including the deputy ambassador, and staffers at Iran’s mission to the United Nations.
