Marco Rubio announces arrests of Qassem Suleimani’s relatives in L.A.

Key Points:

• The Trump administration announced the arrests of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, relatives of the late Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, in Los Angeles for promoting Iranian regime propaganda and supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Soleimani Afshar, Suleimani's niece, and her daughter were living a lavish lifestyle in the U.S., where they celebrated attacks on American soldiers and praised Iran’s leadership, leading to the revocation of their lawful permanent resident status.
• Soleimani Afshar entered the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa, was granted asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2021; her daughter Hosseiny followed a similar path, becoming a green card holder in 2023.
• The arrests are part of a broader effort by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to target relatives of Iranian officials residing in the U.S., including the recent termination of legal status for Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani and her husband.
• Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, was a powerful figure in Iran, leading the Quds Force and planning attacks against U.S. personnel, making his relatives' activities in the U.S. a national security concern.