April 4, 2026, 6:43 p.mApril 4, 2026, 6:43 p.m
Ghassem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike in 2020 – now his niece is in ICE custody. (Archive image, 2016)Image: AP
The USA says it has arrested the niece of Iranian General Ghassem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020. The Foreign Ministry said her right of residence was revoked because of the spread of incitement and propaganda by the Iranian leadership. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are in custody of the US immigration authorities ICE. She therefore previously had a permanent residence permit for the USA.
During her stay in the USA, she cheered attacks on American soldiers, praised the new leader of Iran and described the USA as the “Great Satan”. She has also declared herself a determined supporter of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Her husband is also no longer allowed to enter the USA.
The powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020, during US President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
As the Foreign Ministry also announced, relatives of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani, who was killed by the Israeli military in mid-March, had previously had their right of residence revoked. (sda/dpa)