US says its agents arrested Qassem Soleimani's relatives after revoking green cards

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - U.S. federal agents have detained the niece and grand-niece of late Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status, the State Department said on Saturday.

"Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement," the State Department said in a statement, adding that Rubio revoked their residency status, also known as a green card.

The State Department did not say where the arrests occurred. The statement said the pair were arrested on Friday and that Afshar had been "enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles" that was documented on her recently deleted Instagram account.

Soleimani was killed in a January 2020 U.S. airstrike in Baghdad during President Donald Trump's first term in office.

Iranian news agencies reported on Saturday that Soleimani's daughter, Narjes Soleimani, said the late Iranian military commander's family and relatives have never lived in the U.S. and that he had two nephews, not nieces.

The State Department said Afshar supported Iran's government and its propaganda. It also said Afshar's husband was barred from entering the United States.

The detention came as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its sixth week.

The State Department added that earlier this month, Rubio terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of veteran Iranian politician Ali Larijani, and her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Ardeshir-Larijani and Motamedi are no longer in the United States and are barred from entry, according to the State Department.

Ali Larijani, an architect of Iran's security policy, was killed in mid-March by a U.S.-Israeli air attack.

In his second term in office, Trump's administration has stepped up deportation efforts against immigrants, calling them threats. Rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech and due process. Many immigrants detained by ICE have been released following court orders.