₦airaland Forum

The niece and grand-niece of the deceased commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Gen Qasem Soleimani, have been arrested, the US 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Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter's lawful US permanent resident status was revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a statement released on Saturday said.

However, Soleimani's daughter has called the state department's claims false, saying the arrested individuals "have no connection whatsoever" to her father.

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.

He added in the statement on X that Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were "green card holders living lavishly in the United States".

After entering the US on a tourist visa in 2015, Soleimani Afshar was granted asylum in 2019 and became a green card holder in 2021, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

In filing for a naturalisation application in 2025, she revealed that she had visited Iran four times since receiving her green card, according to the DHS.

"Her trips to Iran illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent," the DHS said.

The DHS added that Soleimani Afshar's daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, came to the US in 2015 on a student visa and was later granted asylum in 2019 and a green card in 2023.

The state department said Soleimani Afshar was an "outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran" and had promoted "Iranian regime propaganda" on her social media account.

Soleimani Afshar's husband has also been barred from the US, the statement said. The state department did not name Soleimani Afshar's husband.

In a statement, Narjes Soleimani, Soleimani's daughter, said: "The individuals arrested in the US have no connection whatsoever to Martyr Soleimani and the claims made by the US State Department are false."

She added that the US had "become so weak and insignificant" and was "fabricating lies against a great figure".

The BBC has contacted the state department for comment.

Soleimani spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East as head of Iran's elite Quds Force.

The 62-year-old was killed at Baghdad airport, along with other Iran-backed militia figures.

"I killed Gen Qasem Soleimani in my first term. He was an evil genius, brilliant person, a horrible human being however, the father of the roadside bomb, and he lived just horrible, what he did," Trump said.

He added that Iran would have been "perhaps in a far better, stronger position" in the war if Soleimani was still alive.

madridguy:
The family of late general Soleimani have said this lady is not their family and they have no connection except for sharing the same nationality.

Meanwhile, I see nothing bad from the US decision but trying to link her with the late army general sound immature.

Botragelad:
Criticize the west that gives you freedom, support the Islamic regime that murders women for not putting on a religious piece of rag. 🤮

CodeTemplar:
Islamic lies.

Kushites:
SHUT UP AND STOP LYING.

Women in Iran are not killed for not wearing the hijab, and according to Wiki, ''In September 2024... Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said that morality police will no longer "bother" women over the wearing of the hijab.''

ALSO, Iran has a small population of 300,000 CHRISTIANS served by 600 churches.

They are not persecuted for their religious beliefs.

SO GO AWAY WITH YOUR PROPAGANDA.

LeeSmart:
If this was an American citizen in Iran, she would have been executed by now. Well hypocrisy breeds and strive in that part of the world. make una come carry una sister oo. She will be much needed in Iran😂😂

madridguy:
General Suleimani three daughters have said the arrested person is not their family and they have no family connection with her.

LeeSmart:
Have you forgotten the Iranian regime with denial? They dare not accept such embarrassment😂😂. Well i don't expect you to acknowledge neither becasue ur APC regime here is same as the Iranian regime.
Happy Easter Abdulaziz

madridguy:
Nothing concerned the regime with this. The daughters of the general Suleimani said she is not their family.

The regime with their daughters lecturing at various universities in the US have returned back to Iran.

immortalcrown:
Her father is or was in Iran enforcing Sharia dress code while she was in another country doing the opposite.

She also went to school while her father was probably stopping other girls from going to school in Iran.

immortalcrown:
Her father is or was in Iran enforcing Sharia dress code while she was in another country doing the opposite.

She also went to school while her father was probably stopping other girls from going to school in Iran.

madridguy:
The family of late general Soleimani have said this lady is not their family and they have no connection except for sharing the same nationality.

Meanwhile, I see nothing bad from the US decision but trying to link her with the late army general sound immature.