State Department Revokes Green Cards of Qasem Soleimani’s Niece and Daughter Over Support for Iranian Terror Regime
The pair were arrested by federal agents late Friday night and are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal from the United States.
Tommy Flynn
WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the green cards of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter, citing their open support for the Iranian regime and its terrorist activities.
The pair were arrested by federal agents late Friday night and are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal from the United States. Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the country.
In a statement Saturday, the State Department said Soleimani Afshar is an “outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran.” While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks on American soldiers and military facilities, praised Iran’s new Supreme Leader, denounced America as the “Great Satan,” and voiced strong support for the IRGC, which is a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The department noted that Afshar enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, documented on her now-deleted Instagram account, while pushing pro-regime messaging.
Qasem Soleimani, killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, was the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force and was responsible for orchestrating numerous attacks that killed hundreds of American service members and allies across the Middle East.
The revocation is part of a broader Trump administration effort to remove foreign nationals with ties to the Iranian terror regime from the United States. Rubio personally announced the action on social media, stating the U.S. will not allow itself to become a safe haven for supporters of anti-American terrorist regimes.
This is the latest in a series of actions targeting individuals linked to the Iranian government amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. The administration has moved aggressively to revoke visas and lawful permanent resident status for those deemed to pose a national security risk or who actively promote the Iranian regime while living in America.