Iranian General's niece, grandniece arrested in Los Angeles, face deportation

U.S. Immigration authorities have arrested the niece and grandniece of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qassem Soleimani.

Soleimani was killed in 2020 after a U.S. drone strike.

The officials announced on Saturday, April 4, that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter into custody following the revocation of their green cards by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Both have been ordered deported from the country, as stated by the U.S. State Department.

Afshar's spouse was also denied entry into America.

According to the Trump administration, the two had been enjoying a luxurious life in Los Angeles for several years while publicly endorsing the Iranian regime and rejoicing in attacks on American citizens.

In a social media post, Rubio claimed that Afshar is “an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.’

Authorities also alleged that she had “unflinching support” for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the U.S. referred to as a foreign terrorist organisation.

“The administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support Anti-American terrorist regimes,” Rubio added.

Two other Iranian citizens, namely Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, whose father served as an Iranian security council secretary, and her husband, have already exited the US territory, being banned permanently from entering the country.