The U.S. has also kept two women who are allegedly family members of Qasem Soleimani, and this is adding fuel to the tensions that were already tense due to the legacy of the late commander and old-time disagreements between Washington and Iran.
US Detains Alleged Qasem Soleimani Relatives
The family of the murdered Iranian general has, however, strongly opposed the accusations, terming them as unfounded.
The US State Department has confirmed that the women who were named Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter lost their lawful permanent residency and are now under the custody of immigration officers. This was confirmed in a statement issued over the weekend.
Marco Rubio Confirms Custody
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the two were in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and they were being removed.
In a social media statement, he claimed that they have been enjoying a comfortable life in the United States despite their dubious immigration status.
The official documents show that Soleimani Afshar came to the US on a tourist visa in 2015 and was asylum-seeking four years later. In 2021, she was then given a green card.
Her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, pursued the same course, coming on a student visa and getting asylum in 2019 and permanent residency in 2023.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed inconsistencies in the asylum claims made by Soleimani Afshar. The officials cited her frequent visits to Iran after she got a residence and stated that such travelling contradicts allegations of persecution.
US officials have also accused Soleimani Afshar of publicly espousing the Iranian government. The State Department termed her an outspoken proponent of the regime and alleged that she had published pro government stories on social media.
Moreover, the police confirmed that her husband has been banned to enter the United States, but his identity has not been revealed.
The events have given political overtones to what would otherwise be perceived as a run-of-the-mill immigration case, owing to the lengthy international reputation of Qasem Soleimani.
Soleimani Family Rejects US Claims
Family denies charges, charges false. In a haughty reply, Narjes Soleimani disowned any familial relationship between the arrested women and her father.
In an interview with the media, she claimed that the persons are not related in any way to the late commander and charged the US authorities of misinformation.
She also denounced Washington and implied that the claims were politically inclined and meant to tarnish the legacy of Soleimani.
The US State Department has refused to give additional information claiming it had nothing more to add to what it already said.
The legacy of Qasem Soleimani is disputable.
US Targets Alleged Soleimani Kin in Immigration Case
Qasem Soleimani, who was once among the strongest military leaders in Iran, headed the elite Quds Force and was at the center of developing the Iranian military policy in the Middle East.
He was assassinated in a US drone attack in 2020 near Baghdad airport, which had been approved by then President Donald Trump.
Trump renegotiated the decision during a speech this week, calling Soleimani brilliant but dangerous and justifying the strike that killed him. He also opined that the present geopolitical position of Iran would have been different, were Soleimani alive.
The recent arrests have once again made the name of the late commander the headline of the news, reminding of the impact of his legacy on the US Iran relations even several years after his death.
