‘Living In US, Denouncing America’, Slain Iranian Army General Soleimani’s Niece, Grandniece Arrested By ICE

The niece of slain Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter, have been arrested by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following allegations of ties to the Iranian regime and anti-American activity, the US State Department said.

According to New York Post, the two women, identified as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25, reportedly had their green cards revoked over what US authorities described as support for Iranian government propaganda and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a group designated by Washington as a terrorist organisation.

A State Department letter confirming the arrests on Friday, stated, “While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the ‘Great Satan,’ and voiced her unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Afshar first entered the United States in 2015 on a tourist visa, later obtained asylum in 2019, and was granted a green card in 2021. Officials also said she made multiple trips back to Iran after receiving permanent residency.

Her daughter, Sarinasadat, entered the US in 2015 on a student visa and became a green card holder in 2023.

A DHS spokesperson, Lauren Bis, said, “It is a privilege to be granted a green card to live in the United States of America. If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the US, the green card will be revoked.”

Authorities also alleged that Afshar maintained an online presence critical of the United States while promoting Iranian leadership figures and policies. Her social media accounts, which have since been deleted, reportedly featured posts celebrating Iranian officials and military actions against US interests abroad.

Her daughter’s online persona, however, appeared markedly different, with social media posts showing a more Western lifestyle — including travel, nightlife, and luxury leisure activities in cities such as Miami, Las Vegas, and Alaska.

ICE officials reportedly detained Sarinasadat during a traffic stop, while Afshar was taken into custody separately in the Los Angeles area. Neighbours told reporters that agents searched for Afshar before detaining her daughter.

Afshar was later seen outside her residence in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles allegedly packing designer belongings into a Tesla vehicle shortly after news of the arrest broke.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the case, saying on X, “The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.”

The State Department also referenced additional recent cases involving revocation of legal status for individuals alleged to have links to Iranian political and security elites, as part of a broader enforcement push targeting national security concerns.

LEADERSHIP reports that late Genral Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport. Washington had designated Soleimani as a terrorist figure, accusing him of orchestrating attacks against American forces in the Middle East — allegations Iran has repeatedly rejected.

Iranian authorities have since commemorated Soleimani’s legacy, including naming missile systems after him, in ongoing tensions with the United States and alies.