US arrests family members of slain Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US arrests family members of slain Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani")
Iranians ride their motorbike past a huge banner of former Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani ahead of the sixth anniversary of his assassination Iraq, at Valiasr Square in Tehran, on December 31, 2025. Photograph: (AFP (File Photo)
Soleimani, who led the Quds Force faction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump during his first term while he was in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020.
US federal agents arrested the relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani, including his niece and grandniece, on Friday night, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status, commonly known as green cards.
The State Department identified the arrested individuals as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter. They are currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Authorities did not disclose the arrest location, though reports indicate Afshar had been living in Los Angeles, California.
"Last night, the niece and grandniece of deceased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qassem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status," a US State Department spokesperson said Saturday.
Soleimani, who led the Quds Force faction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump during his first term while he was in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020.
Secretary Rubio cited Afshar's "outspoken support" for the Iranian regime. The State Department alleged that while living in the US, she used social media to promote regime propaganda, celebrate attacks on American soldiers, and praise Iran's current leadership.
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Earlier this month, Rubio also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani.
The development comes as the war in West Asia continues to escalate. The US military is conducting search and rescue operations for the second crew member of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle, after rescuing the aircraft's pilot following its shootdown over Iran. Tehran has meanwhile announced a bounty on the missing crew member, offering a reward to anyone who provides information on his whereabouts.
The war was triggered by a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran on February 28 and has since spiralled across the region, with its impact felt worldwide through soaring energy prices as Tehran halted shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The US-Israeli campaign focused heavily on decapitation strikes against Iran's top leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials of the IRGC, Quds Force, and the broader Islamic Republic, with the aim of sparking regime change in Tehran. As of today, Iran appears able to withstand the US-Israeli onslaught, quickly replacing slain leaders, while US President Trump claims talks are underway to reach a mutually agreed ceasefire.
