The niece of slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani has been arrested by US federal agents in Los Angeles, along with her daughter, both taken into custody after Secretary of State Marco Rubio stripped them of their green cards. The US State Department confirmed the arrests on Saturday, 4 April 2026, identifying the niece as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar. Her daughter's name was not made public. The two women had been living in Los Angeles as lawful permanent residents — until Rubio's order ended that.
What makes the case notable is not just who they are, but what Afshar had been doing while living in the US. The State Department said she had promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised Iran's new Supreme Leader, and voiced support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organisation, all while living in Los Angeles. The department also said she had denounced America as the 'Great Satan.' Her Instagram account, which documented what the State Department described as a lavish lifestyle, has since been deleted.
