US Arrests Relatives of Slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

Apr 5, 2026

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, alleged relatives of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their green cards. The State Department accused them of being outspoken supporters of Iran who celebrated attacks on Americans, while family member Zeinab Soleimani denies any connection to Qassem Soleimani. The arrests follow similar actions in April 2026 against Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, a former Emory University oncologist, whose deportation petition gathered over 157,000 signatures. The actions occur amid an ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran that began February 28, 2026, which has killed senior Iranian officials including Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani.

Revocation of residency status for relatives of Iranian officials

▪Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani and her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi had their legal US immigration status revoked in April 2026.
▪Marco Rubio terminated the legal status of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter.
▪Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are currently being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
▪The United States revoked the permanent residency of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter on Friday night.
▪Hamideh Soleimani Afshar's husband is barred from entering the United States.

Public pressure campaigns and political activism for deportations

▪A Change.org petition calling for Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani's deportation had gathered 157,017 signatures as of Saturday April 4, 2026.
▪An online petition on Change.org calling for Hamideh Soleimani Afshar to be deported gained more than 4,000 signatures.

Disputed family connections and broader geopolitical context

▪Qassem Soleimani led Iran's Quds Force from 1998 until his assassination in 2020.
▪Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli air strike on March 17, 2026.
▪Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani was no longer employed by Emory University as of January 2026.
▪Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in January 2020 in a US drone attack outside Baghdad International Airport during Donald Trump's first term in office.
▪The US and Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026.