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US strips residency from commander's kin
The United States has revoked the permanent-resident status of two relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani and taken them into custody, the State Department announced on Saturday.
Who was detained
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the general's niece, and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are awaiting deportation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X.
Rubio described the pair as "green-card holders living lavishly in the United States."
Asylum claims under scrutiny
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told CBS News that Soleimani Afshar entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015, applied for asylum in 2019, and received a green card in 2021. When she filed for naturalization in 2025, she disclosed four trips to Iran since obtaining residency.
"Her trips to Iran illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent," DHS stated.
Hosseiny arrived in 2015 on a student visa, secured asylum in 2019, and became a permanent resident in 2023.
Allegations and family rebuttal
The State Department accused Soleimani Afshar of being "an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran" and of promoting "Iranian regime propaganda" on social media. Her husband has also been barred from entering the U.S., although his name was not released.
"The individuals arrested in the U.S. have no connection whatsoever to Martyr Soleimani and the claims made by the U.S. State Department are false."
Narjes Soleimani, daughter of the late general
In a separate statement, Narjes Soleimani called the U.S. "weak and insignificant" and accused it of "fabricating lies against a great figure."
Background on Soleimani's death
Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who led Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport. The operation was ordered by then-President Donald Trump, who later described Soleimani as "an evil genius" and "the father of the roadside bomb."
During a national address on Wednesday, Trump claimed Iran would be "in a far better, stronger position" in regional conflicts had Soleimani remained alive.
Next steps
The State Department told the BBC it had "nothing to add" when asked for further comment. Removal proceedings against the two women are pending.
