US says it has arrested relatives of late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani
US Officials Detain Relatives of Late Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
The U.S. government has detained the niece and granddaughter of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the slain commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the arrests in a statement released on Saturday, noting that their legal status as U.S. permanent residents was revoked. The pair, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, were placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential deportation.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, who arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015, was granted asylum in 2019 and later received a green card in 2021. The Department of Homeland Security revealed that she filed for naturalization in 2025, during which she disclosed four visits to Iran since obtaining her residency. Officials cited these trips as evidence of her asylum claims being fraudulent.
Her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2015 and was awarded asylum in 2019 before securing a green card in 2023. The state department also barred Soleimani Afshar’s husband from entering the country, though his name was not disclosed. The family disputes the allegations, with Narjes Soleimani, Soleimani’s daughter, calling the claims “false.”
“The individuals arrested in the U.S. have no connection whatsoever to Martyr Soleimani,” Narjes Soleimani said. “The claims made by the U.S. State Department are fabrications aimed at tarnishing a great figure.”
In a social media post, Rubio labeled the two women as “green card holders living lavishly in the United States” and stated they were “outspoken supporters of the Iranian regime.” He added that they had promoted “regime propaganda” through their online activity.
Gen. Soleimani, who led Iran’s Quds Force and was instrumental in military operations across the Middle East, was killed in 2020 during a U.S. airstrike in Iraq. President Donald Trump, who authorized the attack, highlighted Soleimani’s role in the conflict. “I killed Gen. Soleimani in my first term,” Trump said in a recent address. “He was an evil genius, a brilliant tactician, and the father of the roadside bomb. His actions were terrible, and his legacy is a stain on history.”
Trump also suggested that Soleimani’s presence might have strengthened Iran’s position in the war, had he survived. The arrests of his relatives have intensified debate over the U.S. government’s stance on Iran and its allies.
